No Matter How Hard I Try, I Can't Stay Away From You
by Flawednfabulous
Summary: This is a Lucian fanfic. The story starts after the Teen Choice Awards and revolves around Lucy and how her breakup with Chris affects her relationships with those closest to her, especially Ian. If Lucian isn't your thing, please don't read. If it is, enjoy :) Rated M for language and sex scenes in later chapters!
1. Chapter 1

No Matter How Hard I Try, I Can't Stay Away From You

A/N: This is a Lucian story. It is rated M for language and sex scenes in later chapters. This story revolves around Lucy's breakup with Chris and how it affects her relationships with those closest to her, especially Ian. Nothing in this story is known to be true, and is only what my thoughts are. Writing isn't really my strong point, but I have been wanting to write this for quite some time, so please be nice! I do not know Ian or Lucy personally. If Lucian is not something you are interested in, please do not read. If it is, I hope you enjoy it :)

Chapter 1

"Darling Ian". God, how could one picture cause so many problems. Lucy sank her head into the back cushion of the couch and looked at the ceiling, trying to hold back the tears. Chris had just stormed out of her apartment a few minutes prior, and she was still reeling over the fact that he got so angry over a damn picture.

_The picture was taken the night before at the Teen Choice Awards. The cast was celebrating their success from the night, and Lucy thought that it was a great opportunity to get a picture with Ian. She meant nothing by it, he was a great friend, and it had been months since they were able to hang out together outside of set. Chris had put a stop to that early on in their relationship. He didn't mind any of her other friends, but he really disliked Ian. Chris claimed that he could tell Ian wanted to be more than friends with Lucy, no matter how many times she told him they were just friends. After the Ustream in February, Chris formed a strong opinion quickly. _

Lucy closed her eyes and sighed as she began thinking about the argument she and Chris just finished. 30 minutes earlier he came over and she could tell something was wrong. She was really hoping that it had nothing to do with the picture, since it was harmless, but she was sensing that was the problem. She could tell by the way he entered her apartment. Cheerfully, she went in for a hug, but Chris just stood there and she could feel the tension. Trying to diffuse the situation, she grabbed his hand and dragged him into the kitchen asking if he wanted a beer as she nonchalantly poured herself a glass of wine. He simply shook his head no and glared at her. If only she knew how much she was going to need that glass of wine.

"Lucy, don't try to avoid the situation."

"Um, I'm not sure what you're talking about" she said, really hoping he wasn't going to make a huge deal out of something so unimportant.

"You know damn well what I am talking about. Don't play dumb with me" he hissed back.

"If this is about the picture of Ian and I..."

"God, Lucy, you seriously know how to piss me off! You know how I feel about that guy and you always shove him down my throat!" he interrupted.

"Seriously? Shove him down your throat? How do you figure? I'm not allowed to even talk to him outside of work! You put a stop to that way back in February!" she exclaimed, started to get upset.

"Whatever, you know you do. I swear, every time I ask how work was you always have to tell me some story about Ian, something cute he did, how he's _so_ funny. Oh, he toothed your lip accidentally during that kiss that took over an hour to perfect? Well, in case you couldn't figure it out, I don't give a fuck about him, or anything he does for that matter! And then I get on Twitter today to see a picture of you guys together. How the hell am I supposed to react?!"

"Wow! You are being ridiculous! We took a damn picture together! I took pictures with other people too! And, I mean, it's not like we were doing anything wrong in the picture. We were standing there! If you have a problem with that, you have some issues you have to work out within yourself!" Lucy yelled. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

"Just standing there..." Chris laughed sarcastically. "You know it was more than a picture, Lucy. He has a thing for you and you know it. And with the caption 'Darling Ian' to go with it, what should I think? Right now I am feeling as if I should wonder how you feel about him, too."

"First of all, Ian has a girlfriend, so don't say he has a "thing" for me. Second of all, don't you think you should trust me? I mean, being I am your girlfriend and all? What have I done to deserve so little trust? When we started dating you specifically said you had no problem with my job, and the fact that I would be kissing Ian quite a bit. Our relationship on the show is one that is probably going to last through the end and you knew that from the beginning! I don't know what changed your opinion of him and I. You claim it was our Ustream but we didn't do anything!-"

"Bullshit!" Chris interrupted again. "Watch that Ustream again, Lucy. Did you see the way he was looking at you? It was fucking disgusting! And you were flirting right back, and you know it! I guess it is just too hard for you to stay away from him, huh? He's just so damn irresistible. But I'm not dealing with the bullshit anymore, you can decide what's more important."

"What?" Lucy asked obviously taken aback.

"I'll let you choose. Do you wanna be with me and stay away from him, or do you want him? It's your choice. If you want him, fine. I will leave...".

"You are not seriously asking me to choose between you and Ian!" Lucy interrupted.

"God, Lucy is it really that hard of a decision?"

"Chris, you are asking me to choose between you, my boyfriend, and one of my best friends. I can't just kick him out of my life, we work together and we can't just completely ignore each other!"

"Seriously? I didn't think it would be such a hard decision. Maybe I should be more worried than I thought I was". Lucy could see that Chris was getting more angry by the second. His face was getting redder and she could see his body tense up.

"Chris, I can't make that decision. I'm sorry. I would love to choose you, but you have to realize why I can't..." Lucy trailed off. She could feel a lump in her throat start to form.

"Damn it, Lucy! You are such a bitch! God, for all I know you're probably sleeping with him, because I can't see how some other guy can be so damn important" Chris yelled as he walked towards the door.

Lucy grabbed Chris's arm hoping to keep him from leaving as tears started to well up in her eyes. "Chris, please. Please don't leave! We need to figure this out, you can't just walk out!"

"Fuck you! I'm out of here. There's no point in staying, since you can't choose me!" Chris screamed at her.

Lucy let her arm fall from his and stood there silently. Chris glared at her then turned on his heel towards the door. Before he left, he punched the wall, threw the door open and slammed it in Lucy's face. Lucy stood a few feet from the door, paralyzed, and sobbed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After what felt like an eternity, Lucy slowly lowered herself onto the couch. She sat there silently trying to wipe away what tears were left in her eyes. After a few minutes and many deep breaths later, she picked up her laptop off of the coffee table in front of her. She took one long slow breath before opening up her Twitter account. She clicked on the picture of herself and Ian and sighed. She searched the picture for anything more than platonic but couldn't find anything. Quickly she went from sad to angry. She closed her computer and placed it back on the coffee table and lifted herself from the couch. She grabbed the wine glass off the table and downed what was left. She walked to the kitchen and discarded the glass into the sink. She was going to need something much stronger than wine tonight. She opened the cabinet above the fridge and searched through the alcohol she and Annie stored in there. Four bottles of wine, a fifth of vodka, a fifth of rum, and some Bailey's. She ran her hand through her hair as she made her selection. Finally, she decided on the vodka. There was more than half of the fifth left, not that she would need all of it, but she wanted to try to numb her feelings, and quickly.

She walked to the cupboard that stored the tumblers and placed one on the counter. Opening the bottle, she poured a small amount into the bottom of the glass. She picked the glass up and put it to her lips and swallowed the liquid liquor burned her throat causing her to grimace. She poured another shot into the tumbler and gulped down that one as well. After the single shots, she poured two shots worth of alcohol in the bottom of her glass and capped the bottle. She decided she would mix something in her alcohol this time. Opening the fridge, Lucy searched for something to mix with her vodka. She settled on some cranberry juice.

Drink in hand, Lucy walked back into the living room to retrieve her iPhone. From there she went into her bedroom and settled her drink onto her nightstand as she sat down on the bed. She grabbed the remote off her bed and flipped through the channels hoping to find something that might take her mind off her situation. She settled on Mean Girls, hoping that it would make her laugh. Looking towards the end of her bed, she found Jack lying there and patted his head. She stood up and could tell that the couple shots she took were already taking effect. That was most likely because it had been hours since she ate and the fact that she was so upset, but the warm dizzying feeling was what she was hoping for. Lucy pulled her shirt over her head and shimmied out of her skirt before walking over to her dresser to grab a t-shirt to change into. When she reached into her dresser she grabbed the first shirt she found and realized that it was one of Chris's that he left at her place. Sickened by the reminder of him, she threw the shirt into the hamper and decided to just lounge in her bra and underwear. It wasn't like anyone was going to see her anyway. Annie was with her sister for the night so it would just be Lucy at the apartment. Just as she was settling onto her bed she heard her phone vibrating. Heart pounding, she picked it up, really hoping it wasn't Chris already. She wasn't feeling up to forgiving him anytime soon. The name that showed up wasn't Chris's though, it was Ian's. Lucy took a deep breath in and shakily clicked on the text message.

"Hey Luce, it was so good to see you last night, off set for once! We should definitely try to do it again soon. Miss ya! -Ian".

Lucy's heart felt like it was literally going to pound out of her chest. She was so relieved that it wasn't Chris, but she didn't know if the fact that it was Ian was a whole lot better. She started to think and instantly felt sad. The lump in her throat came back as she realized just how much her and Ian's relationship had changed in the past few months. They used to be so close and would tell each other everything. Now she tried to avoid him like the plague, just so Chris would be happy. How could she treat him so badly when he had always been so sincere? He had been dating Sophia on and off since she had known him and he continued to be a great friend to her nonetheless. Finally, after contemplating it for quite some time, she decided to text back.

"Shmian! So good to hear from you! It was amazing to see you as well, and yes, let's get together soon! xox".

There. She was being herself, friendly, but not overly flirty. She didn't want to come off as flirty, and never thought she did, but Chris claimed otherwise. After reading and rereading over the text she pressed send and threw her phone on the pillow next to her. Feeling antsy, she picked up her drink and sucked it down quickly, hoping it would relieve her nerves. She didn't know why she was expecting a response, it's not as if her text was eliciting one, but she couldn't help but hope he would send one. It was crazy how much she missed him. It wasn't like she was missing him in a romantic way, but she just missed his presence. She missed how they could talk about anything and how she could act like herself, make faces, sing loudly and make corny jokes and he would just laugh right along with her.

After a few minutes of sitting there, she finished the rest of her drink and decided she should make one more. She stood up and swayed a little, just realizing just how drunk she was getting. She steadied herself and walked back to the kitchen and poured another double shot of vodka into her cup and topped it off with the cranberry juice. She returned to her room sipping as she walked. Settling her drink back in its spot, she tried to get comfortable and watched the movie on the screen in front of her. The more she tried to concentrate on the movie, the harder it was. She could not get Ian out of her mind. Tears welled up in her eyes and she picked up her phone. There wasn't anything for her to see. No texts. She sighed and sat up a little, really starting to feel the alcohol cloud her mind. Part of her wanted to call Ian, just to talk, but the other part was telling her no. Her alcohol induced mind got the best of her and she went to "Shmian" in her phone.

"Here goes nothing" she said to herself.

Closing her eyes she pressed the call button. The phone started ringing. First ring. She let out a loud breath. Second ring. Her heart was pounding. Third ring. She hung up.

"Damn it, what are you thinking Lucy!? Are you an idiot?" she thought to herself.

Suddenly her phone started to vibrate. First ring. She stared at her phone like it was a foreign object. Second ring. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. Third ring. She started to panic. Fourth ring. She got out of bed and decided to leave the room. She heard the fifth ring and took a deep breath before returning to her bed, knowing that the phone went to voicemail. As she settled back into her spot her phone started to vibrate again.

"Stop, Ian! God, it was a mistake. Stop calling!" she thought.

Finally, just before the last ring she got the courage to pick up.

"Hello?" she said trying to keep her voice from wavering.

"Luce! I'm so sorry I missed your call! I was up at the bar getting drinks and Julian told me my phone was ringing while I was gone. What's up?" he asked cheerfully.

"Oh, nothing. Sorry, I didn't realize you were out...tell Julian hello" she said trying to end the conversation quickly.

"Come out!" he exclaimed. "It has been forever since we have gotten drinks. Come on, like old times? Julian misses you as well!"

She felt her voice quivering and she swallowed hoping to get rid of the lump in her throat once again. "Um, I'd love to but, uh..." she swallowed and cleared her throat trying to get rid of the feeling of her voice cracking. Tears started flowing by now and she needed to get off the phone before Ian noticed. "Sorry Ian, this was stupid on my part" she said quickly.

"Whoa, Luce, are you ok? You sound upset. Are you crying?" Ian asked obviously concerned.

"No, no. I'm fine. Really. I really gotta go though." And just like that she hung up.

Lucy threw her phone back onto her bed. Tears were steadily flowing now and she was trying hard not to start sobbing. The iPhone sitting beside her started vibrating once more, displaying "Shmian" across the front. She couldn't take this. She picked up her drink and stumbled into the living room, leaving her phone behind.

Lucy grabbed her favorite fuzzy blanket out of the basket next to the couch and curled up with it, drink in hand. She sipped on her drink until it was gone. How could she call Ian? The alcohol did the opposite of what she intended. She was really hoping it would make her forget everything, but instead it just made her more emotional. She put her drink on the coffee table and leaned back trying to relax. Suddenly there was a knock at her door. She instantly became irritated. Chris could not be back already begging for forgiveness. He usually took at least half a day. Sitting up slowly she staggered over to the door clasping the blanket around her tiny frame. As she opened the door, her jaw dropped, not expecting to see the person who was standing before her.

**Hope you guys enjoyed the first few chapters :) R&R and I will post the next few chapters!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Ian...what are you doing here?" Lucy asked shocked.

"I texted you about 15 minutes ago. I said I was going to come check on you unless you told me not to. You never responded so I figured it was okay. Are you alright?"

Just like that she was crying again. Ian walked forward and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, reassuring her that it was going to be okay. "What's going on?" he asked once her tears subsided.

She walked over to the couch slowly and sat down. Ian sat next to her, a considerable amount of space between them.

"Chris and I got into a huge fight tonight. He was pissed about that photo I posted of us yesterday and basically said I had to choose between you and him. I couldn't do that, Ian, I just couldn't. I know I have been a pretty shitty friend the past few months, but I still consider you one of the best friends I have. You have been there for me always, even when I wasn't there for you. I guess I really realized that tonight when he asked me to choose. So basically he got like crazy pissed at me for saying I couldn't choose, and he called me a bitch and a lying cheater for it. After that he left saying fuck you...and then punched my wall" she trailed on.

"Wait, he did that?!" Ian exclaimed looking at the dent in the wall beside the door.

"It doesn't matter" she said, "that can be fixed. I feel like my heart was shattered. I really don't know if I will recover from this one. No boyfriend has ever insulted me that much before. It hurts a hell of a lot more that I ever would think it would" she said, then paused. "It's just, I would never say those things to someone I loved, no matter how mad I was, ya know?"

"Luce, I don't know what to say. I am so sorry, and I can say you deserve better, but I've been saying that since the beginning. You are one of my best friends and I wouldn't let anyone hurt you if I could help it. I just can't believe he would say those things to you. You are anything but a bitch. You are one of the sweetest, most caring people I have ever met. You don't need a guy like that, but like I said, I can tell you that 'til my face turns blue. You have to believe it though. I love ya, Luce, and I just want to make sure you are okay" Ian said as evenly as possible. Lucy could tell he was angry from hearing what Chris had said to her.

"I know, I just, I never really realized how toxic our relationship was...until tonight. You have been better to me than he has in the past 6 months! I can't believe that I let him control me so much" she said getting teary eyed and obviously disgusted.

Ian slid over a little rubbing her back trying to console her. Lucy was really starting to feel tired from the alcohol and laid her head back against the couch. The blanket that was wrapped around her dropped some, and Ian noticed that Lucy was barely wearing anything.

"Hey Luce, how drunk are you?" Ian asked curiously.

"More than I'd like to be at the moment" she slurred.

"Like, how much did you drink?" he asked a little more concerned this time.

"I don't know, I took a few shots and have had a couple strong mixed drinks as well" she said slowly.

"Are you gonna be okay? Should I call Annie for you? Or Claire? I don't know if you should be here all night alone...".

"Stay with me" she said grabbing his hand.

"Ahh Luce, would that be wise? Chris wouldn't be too happy about that" he said trying to be responsible.

"Who cares, it's not like he cares about me anyway. Oh, but Sophia...she may not like it", Lucy said jealousy laced in her words.

"Yeah, about that..." Ian trailed off. "Sophia and I decided a few months ago it would be best to just be friends for now, just with work and everything. I'm in LA and she travels to New York so often so it felt like we never got to see each other and you shouldn't have to try that hard to be happy with someone."

"Oh...wow. I'm sorry, Ian. I didn't know..." Lucy said suddenly feeling guilty.

Chuckling a little Ian said "Well of course you wouldn't know, you have been forced to ignore me for the past 6 months...".

"Ian..." Lucy continued. She leaned in and laid her head on his shoulder. "I really am sorry. I feel terrible. I cannot believe how terrible of a friend I have been". She let out a hard sigh. "I really missed you".

Ian rubbed her arm, letting her know she was forgiven. "Yeah, I've missed you too".

They sat on the couch this way for a few minutes. Lucy with her head on Ian's shoulder and his arm around her waist with his hand resting on her arm. Ian noticed Lucy's head was leaning a little harder against his shoulder, so he looked down to find her passed out. He let out a long sigh and scratched his head trying to figure out what the best thing to do would be. Finally, he lifted Lucy off the couch, letting the blanket fall to the floor. He really thought she was wearing more clothes than she was, and seeing her in so little made it that much harder to make a rational decision. After scooping her up in his arms, Ian made his way to Lucy's bedroom. He placed her on the bed and tried to bring the covers out from under her and over her body without disturbing her. As he was just tucking her in she stirred and grabbed his hand.

"Can you just lie beside me for a bit?...Please?" Lucy said half asleep.

"Um...sure" Ian said cautiously.

Ian decided he would just get comfortable since he was obviously going to have to stay for awhile. He unzipped the hoodie he was wearing and tossed it next to the bed revealing a black t-shirt that was just fitted enough to show his slender yet muscular frame. He ran his hands through his hair and sat down on the opposite side of the bed as Lucy. He took the remote and turned down the TV and tried to concentrate on the infomercial now showing so that he wouldn't be tempted to look at the beautiful face feet from him. He finally looked at Lucy and realized, not for the first time, just how beautiful she was. She was sleeping soundly next to him, her long dark lashes resting on her cheeks and her full lips parted slightly. He really was lucky to have her in his life, he just wished that Chris would see it too. He would much rather her be with someone who wasn't such an ass, but if she really loved him, he just wanted Chris to appreciate what he had.

Finally after the informercial changed over to the next one, Ian rolled off the bed and decided he should take the couch. Technically, Lucy was still in a relationship and he couldn't sleep in the same bed, no matter how bad he wanted to. He was a better man and friend than that. He shut the door softly as he made his way to his makeshift bed. He scooped the blanket Lucy previously donned off the floor and curled up on the couch. Within minutes he was out.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ian woke up to a loud sound coming from Lucy's room. He sat up startled next to Jack who decided Ian made a good sleeping buddy. Ian ran into her room, Jack following close behind, to see what was going on. As he entered he found Lucy struggling in her bathroom.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ian asked.

"Ugh, yeah, I just feel like I'm going to be sick" Lucy said as she sat next to the toilet.

Ian kneeled next to Lucy and gathered her hair at the nape of her neck. He rubbed her back trying to soothe her. Lucy turned to Ian, pale with a hangover, and thanked him for staying.

"Goose, you know I would do anything for you. Are you still feeling sick or did it pass?"

Just as he said that, Lucy heaved into the toilet. Ian continued to rub her back lightly reassuring her that it was okay. Lucy wiped the sides of her mouth with the hand towel hanging by the sink and stood up shakily. She flushed the toilet and made a disgusted face. "Gosh, what was I thinking? I should have known that much alcohol in such a short amount of time would give me a massive hangover. I feel like crap."

"Hey", Ian said soothingly, "go lay back down. I'll be back in in a few minutes".

Lucy complied and slowly made her way to her bed. Ian went to the kitchen and filled a glass with water. He then put a kettle on the stove to make her some hot tea. After the tea was ready he brought the mug, the glass of water and some Advil back to Lucy's room.

"Take these" he said handing her the pills. "I brought you some water and hot tea. That should help with the nausea. Do you still feel like you could get sick? I can bring the trashcan if you need it".

"No, I feel quite a bit better now actually, just a massive headache. Thank you so much for taking care of me. You are the best, Shmian".

"Alright, well the Advil will kick in soon. Rest. I'll be out here for a few more hours. I'll check on you in a bit" Ian said.

He watched as Lucy sank back down into her bed and brought the blankets up around her shoulder. He quietly closed the door and made his way back to the kitchen. Looking at the time on the oven, he didn't realize how early it was. It was only 6:30 am. He was definitely going to need the coffee today, seeing as he only got 4 hours of sleep. He went over to the Keurig machine on the counter and placed a K-Cup in its designated place and watched it brew instantly. He took his mug out to the living room where he settled back into his spot on the couch. He looked down to see Jack staring up at him, most likely wanting to be fed.

"Hey bud, you hungry? How about I feed you, since mommy probably won't be up for a while" he said sweetly to the little dog.

Ian got back up and went over to the kitchen. he opened the pantry where he knew Jack's food was stored. Jack stood at Ian's feet jumping happily as he filled the dog's bowl. He then filled the other with water.

"There ya go buddy. You should be happy now" Ian said as he patted the dog's head.

Ian walked back to his place on the couch and made himself comfortable. He grabbed his iPhone off of the coffee table to find 2 new messages. Both were from Julian.

The messages read: "So, is Luce ok?" and "Dude, I am going to assume things are going well since I haven't heard back in the past few hours. Be safe!"

Ian rolled his eyes and decided against texting back since his friend probably didn't even go to bed until an hour or two before. From there, he decided to check his Twitter. Ian wasn't one for technology for the most part, but he really did enjoy reading some of the tweets that his fans left him. He started scrolling through his mentions when he decided he needed to check something. He went to Lucy's profile and clicked on the most recent picture. He examined the picture closely, trying to find any inkling of something non-platonic. He couldn't find anything that seemed overly flirty from the picture. He scrolled down and found the caption "Darling Ian". Wow. If that is what Chris was so mad about, he really needed to get over it. Lucy talked that way all the time, Chris should know that. The comment below the caption caught Ian's eye, though.

"OMG please just get married and make beautiful babies!"

The next comment, "Seriously, Lucy! Drop Chris, Ian is way hotter!"

For some reason, these and the next few comments that were showing on the picture, were amusing to Ian. No wonder Chris was angry. He couldn't say that he wouldn't be, but Chris definitely overreacted. Ian exited out of his Twitter app and laid down on the couch. FInally, he dozed off.

What seemed like minutes later, Ian's phone started to vibrate on the coffee table. He looked at the time and saw that it was 11:30 am. Wow, he slept much later than he thought he would. He looked to find another text from Julian. This one said "I trust you are still alive and well. Didn't hear from you last night. Hope your night ended well ;)".

Ian shook his head. Julian seemed to think that he and Lucy had something for each other. As a matter of fact, so did everyone. They were just friends, and he really couldn't see what everyone said was so obvious. Clearly Lucy didn't see him as more than a friend, or she wouldn't have started dating Chris. He loved Lucy, he didn't know if he loved her in that way or not, but it didn't matter. They were not together and probably wouldn't be so why have those feelings. He decided he would reply finally, simply by saying "All's good".

After sending the text, Ian went to Lucy's door and knocked softly. He opened the door to see Lucy sitting in bed reading a book. "Hey" he said, "you look like you feel a little better!".

"Well I feel much better! I mean I still have a little bit of a headache, but nothing like this morning!" Lucy said smiling.

"I'm so glad to hear that, Goose. Will you be alright alone for a while then? I have some errands to run and should really get going, but if you need me to I can stay here" Ian said.

"No, no. I am fine now. Thank you so much for last night!" Lucy said standing up. She went over to Ian and gave him a big hug.

"Anytime. But promise me, if you need anything, you will call. Whether you start to not feel well again, or if Chris gives you trouble. Call me. I mean it" Ian said seriously.

"Ok, I promise." Lucy replied.

"Okay, well it was so good to see you again Luce, even if you don't remember all of it" he said chuckling. She punched him playfully on the arm and gave a 'Who, me?' look. He laughed and embraced her again before giving her a big smile and walking out the door.

**I hope you are all enjoying the story so far :) Let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you to those of you who reviewed and followed this story! Keep it up and I will continue to update as often as I can. :)**

Chapter 5

All of a sudden Lucy's frowns were turned to smiles. Somehow, Ian always managed to make her smile, no matter how bad she was feeling. Too bad he really did complicate things. She wanted things to work out with Chris, but the more she thought about it, the more confused she became. Eventually she decided that it wasn't going to help to over-think everything. She needed a shower to clear her head, and even more, some coffee to kick her remaining hangover.

Lucy made her way into her bathroom. She turned the shower on and stripped her clothes off as it warmed up. She stepped in and instantly relaxed as the hot water ran over her body. She stood there thinking about the current situation for quite a while before finally washing up and getting out. She dried herself off and wrapped the towel around her body as a mock dress. She really needed coffee, stat. Lucy padded out to the kitchen and started a cup of coffee as Jack jumped around excitedly at her feet.

"Good morning, Jacky!" Lucy said in her baby voice. "Well, more like good afternoon. Good thing Ian was here this morning to give you your breakfast!". She smiled to herself as she took the now full mug of coffee. Chris had never fed Jack before, even though he had stayed over many times and left before she got up. It really meant a lot to Lucy that Ian was so considerate. Just as she was about to go to her room to get dressed there was a knock at the door. Lucy looked back down to Jack with a puzzled look on her face. "Hmm...must be Ian forgot something" she said.

Lucy made her way to the door and opened it excitedly to see that it wasn't Ian. It was Chris. "Um, hi.." she said obviously not pleased.

"Luce, I need to talk to you. I've been thinking about everything I said yesterday and-"

"Chris, I don't want to hear it. I have never been so insulted in my life. If you love someone you don't speak to them the way you did to me" Lucy said very irritated.

"Please, just give me 5 minutes to apologize." Chris could tell that she was contemplating it. "Please Luce. Five minutes and then you can kick me out".

"Fine". Lucy opened the door wider to let Chris through. He walked in and took a seat on the couch. Lucy sat with her legs crossed on the opposite side.

"Lucy, I am so sorry for what I said yesterday. I know I said some pretty hurtful things, and believe me, I am really ashamed of myself. I guess I just let my jealousy get the best of me. You just mean a lot to me and I don't want to lose you. But what you said yesterday really made me think. How you said I should trust you more? I do need to. You never really did anything. I overreacted. Please, can you forgive me for this?" Chris pleaded.

"I really don't know, Chris. I'll be back, I need to get dressed" Lucy said. She needed to get away for a few minutes to try to gather her thoughts. She walked back into her bedroom closing the door most of the way behind her. She walked over to her dresser and let the towel she was wearing fall to the floor. She took out a pair of lacy purple panties and slipped them on and found a matching lacy bra to go with it. Just as she walked to her closet to find a shirt and bottoms, Chris slipped through the door.

"Wow, you're wearing my favorite" he said with a smile hoping to ease some of the tension. He walked to the opposite side of Lucy's bed and sat down. Lucy made her way deeper into her closet, trying to avoid Chris as much as she could. She really wasn't up for talking. She pulled down a simple black t-shirt and some dark washed skinny jeans and walked back out closing the closet door behind her. When she came out Chris was sitting there, all of a sudden looking angry again.

"Why do you look mad all of a sudden?" Lucy asked.

"Well, I don't know Luce. Who's sweatshirt is this on the floor? It is obviously not yours since it is a guys sweatshirt, and it isn't mine" he said angrily.

Shit. How was she supposed to explain that. Oh, it's Ian's, he spent the night last night? Yeah right, there is no way that would fly with Chris, even though absolutely nothing happened. She had to think fast.

"It's just a friend's. It's not a big deal" she said passively.

"What friend's?"

"It doesn't really matter, Chris. It is just a friend's. Can you drop it please?" she said, really hoping he wasn't going to start a fight. She knew better than to think that.

"Then tell me who's damn sweatshirt it is Lucy! If it isn't a big deal then why the hell can't you tell me?"

Lucy looked away biting her lip as she tried not to cry.

"It's Ian's isn't it? I knew it! You're fucking him aren't you?!" Chris yelled.

"No, I'm not Chris. God, what happened to the whole 'you didn't do anything to not deserve my trust' spiel you gave me 5 minutes ago? He came over last night because I was really upset. You really hurt me, Chris. He just helped calm me down, because he is a good friend. And that is it" Lucy said hurtfully.

"Right, and that is why his sweatshirt is on your bedroom floor. Why the hell would someone that is _just a friend_ be in your room? Let me guess he stayed here last night and slept right where I was sitting!"

"He didn't sleep in here, Chris! Yeah, he stayed over. I was drunk off my ass. He texted me last night just to say it was good to see me again and I called him because I was upset. So he came over to make sure I was okay. I passed out so he put me in my bed and slept on the couch. That is it. If you don't believe me then I don't know what to tell you, because it is the honest to God truth." Lucy said. That lump was back in her throat.

"I don't know what to believe anymore. You get drunk and call some other guy to console you? Damn it, Lucy! I'm your boyfriend, you should be calling me!" Chris screamed back.

"After what you said to me, Chris?! I have been cheated on and yelled at by boyfriends before, but they never called me a liar, a cheater, and a bitch. That is a new low for you. I couldn't talk to you, I didn't want to. Ian just so happened to text me so I figured he could make me feel a little better. I didn't do it to spite you, or piss you off. I was alone and really upset and the person that made me that way was obviously not going to help" she said with venom in her words.

"Don't you dare put this on me. I call what I see. And it looks to me like you are lying. You had the one guy I can't stand come over to comfort you. And that right there makes you a bitch in my eyes. Sorry if you don't like it" Chris said. "I'm leaving. Apologizing was a mistake. My instincts were right".

Just like that Chris walked out of her bedroom, past Jack and out the front door. Lucy let out a huge sigh and fell back onto her bed, the few tears threatening her eyes falling to her cheeks.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Not even an hour after Chris left Annie came through the door. "Luce? Are you here?" Annie called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, I'm in here" Lucy called from her bedroom. It was 1:20 in the afternoon and Lucy changed into yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt and was in bed.

"What the hell is going on?" Annie said concerned. "You look like death!"

"Wow, thanks Banan" Lucy said. "I've just had a rough day is all."

"What's going on?"

"Ugh, let's just say that that picture I posted of Ian and I at the TCAs really pissed Chris off. I am thinking we're over."

"No way! What did he say?"

"Well, he pretty much called me a liar, a cheater, a bitch...oh and don't leave out the fuck you and a hole in the wall" Lucy added.

"Hole in the wall?! Where? And oh my God, Luce! I am so sorry. It's a picture, he can just get over it. He will. You know how sensitive he is."

"Um, it gets worse. After the fight I decided to drown my sorrows in vodka, like an idiot. Well, Ian texted to say it was nice to see each other off set for once and it really made me miss him. I called him and he didn't answer, but he called back a few minutes later. I didn't want to answer because I felt like I made a huge mistake drunk dialing him, so he decided to show up and make sure I was okay. Well, I passed out and Ian stayed here. He slept on the couch but left his sweatshirt in my room, which Chris found today and freaked out all over again. So needless to say, I am pretty sure we are over."

"Luce, you really should talk to Chris. Like maybe go out to dinner or someplace public, that way he won't overreact. I mean, you don't even know where you stand with him!" Annie said.

"I am not going anywhere with him. Not after today and yesterday."

"Lucy, you really should. You won't know what is happening until then. I love you, and I hate seeing you upset, but I think this will be better for both of you if you just talk it out now."

"I really don't know, Banan. He really, really hurt me. I don't think I can be with someone who is so damn controlling! I mean, Ian is a great friend to me, and Chris should see that. But he claims Ian wants more and is going to move in when he gets his chance. I have no idea where he gets it but he is convinced it's true" Lucy explained.

"I don't really know Luce, but seriously, talk to Chris. It is the only thing that will make anything better. Or talk here if you want, but make sure I am home. He won't get too out of control if I am here" Annie said. She leaned in and gave Lucy a hug. "I love you, but I really got to get around. I told my sister I'd watch Jack for a few hours, but I needed to grab some stuff from home. Will you be okay? I can cancel if you need me. I should be back by dinner time though".

"Go, seriously! I will be fine. I am just going to hang out here. Maybe I will talk to Chris at some point but I think I need to take a nap and think this through after I have had a little more sleep. Text me when you are on your way back, and kiss that sweet baby for me."

"Okay, love you. And call if you need anything. Really."

"Love you too Banan. I will be fine."

Annie left Lucy's room to take a shower and left their apartment a few minutes later. Lucy snuggled down into her bed and drifted off to sleep.

Suddenly Lucy's phone vibrated. She picked it up and found it to be 4:05 pm. Wow. She slept for 2 hours. She stretched and sat up to look at the text message that was on her phone. It was from Ian.

"Hey, just checking in. How are you feeling?"

She replied saying she was fine and that she would talk to him more on set Monday morning and thanked him again. It didn't really surprise her that she heard from Ian before she heard from Chris. Ian was going to make some girl really happy someday, she thought. He was such a good guy. After setting her phone down she hopped out of bed and pulled the blankets back. She picked up her phone and made her way to the living room. Her phone started to vibrate in her hand again. This time it was from Annie.

"How are you feeling? I am going to be leaving in about 20 minutes. Want me to get some takeout?"

Lucy responded, "I feel a lot better, I had a long nap. And yes! We should get some Mexican food! I'm starving!"

Annie replied saying she would be there in an hour, food in hand. With that, Lucy decided to find something on TV to keep herself occupied for the next hour. She flipped through the channels and settled on a 'Toddlers and Tiaras' rerun. Lucy got excited when she found it to be a marathon. It was something that she and Annie bonded over, and since they were going to be staying in for the night, they would have something good to watch.

"Jacky! Come here baby!" Lucy called to her dog. A few seconds later, a little white fluff ball came hopping out of her room and jumped up next to her on the couch. She scratched his ears and gave him a kiss on top of the head. After watching TV mindlessly for 20 minutes Lucy decided to brave Twitter. She picked up her laptop and sat it on her lap and opened up a new page to Twitter. She scrolled through her mentions and found most of them to say things about the picture. She knew that her fans would love it, that is part of the reason she took the picture in the first place. But normally fans were freaking out over Ezria, this time it was Lucian. Lucian was the 'celebrity couple' name the fans came up with for Lucy and Ian. They weren't dating but many of the fans wanted them to. Lucy assumed it was because they played Aria and Ezra. After scrolling through her many mentions she looked through her timeline. That is where she saw the tweet from Chris. He simply wrote: "And just like that the happiness is over. Gonna miss you angel."

Lucy was enraged. What the hell was he thinking? They never officially made the decision to break up, but it was like Chris to go to Twitter with his feelings. This was the initiative she needed to talk to him. Lucy picked up the phone beside her and sent a text to Chris. "Wow, good to know we are over. I really thought you would have more decency than that." A few minutes later she got his reply.

"Well you didn't seem too concerned with our relationship. Why the hell does it matter to you so much now anyway?"

She became even more furious. She texted back: "Really? So instead of talking to me, like an adult, you are going to take to Twitter? Wow." How could he be so immature? She knew that he was an emotional guy, and usually would confess his love over Twitter. She never thought he would post their breakup before they even talked about it, though. A few minutes later Chris replied.

"I'm sorry. I'll delete it. But really why would you care? You weren't up for talking about it earlier".

Lucy finally decided it would just be easier to call him. She brought his number up from her recent calls list and clicked call. After two rings he answered.

"Hello?"

"We really do need to talk. This is ridiculous. Why would you go to Twitter? You know all it will do is start drama" Lucy said.

"I'm sorry I was pissed, okay? I took it down. But why are you all of a sudden so eager to talk when earlier you barely said anything."

"Chris, you were accusing me of shit I didn't do. I was pissed and needed time to think. You just showed up, what was I supposed to say?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know. But you want to talk now...why the change of heart?" Chris asked.

"I just want to settle this now. I don't want to wait and let it get awkward. I really love you Chris, but I don't know how I will get past this. I think we need to meet up and discuss everything. Obviously this is ending, but I want to try to at least be on the same page with this" she said.

"Alright. Well maybe tomorrow we could go get dinner? I'll pick you up at 7?" Chris said back.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then."

With that Lucy hung up the phone. She didn't really want to have to see Chris, but maybe Annie was right. Talking it over now would be so much easier than waiting for it to get awkward. She just wanted to be done with everything. Lucy closed her computer and sat it back down on the coffee table and relaxed a little more on the couch. At this point, all she was excited for was girl's night and Mexican food.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Within minutes of being off the phone with Chris, the door swung upon and Annie walked through carrying multiple takeout containers. "Sorry it took so long, traffic is terrible tonight!" Annie said. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine, I'm starving though!" Lucy said taking a container from Annie. She placed the container on the coffee table and walked to the kitchen to get some plates and silverware. Annie dropped off the remaining containers in the living room and followed Lucy to the kitchen.

"So, did you get a chance to talk to Chris at all?" Annie asked curiously.

"Yeah, about that. We're meeting up tomorrow to discuss everything, but you know Banan, I really don't think I can do this anymore. I love him but his immaturity and controlling personality is too much to handle" Lucy said truthfully.

"So how was the conversation? Like did you just text or actually talk on the phone? Was he being an ass or was he at least decent?" Annie said taking down a bottle of wine from the cabinet. She poured two glasses and they made their way back to the living room.

"Well, it's kind of a long story actually. I wasn't even going to talk to him at all, honestly. I was going to wait it out and let my feelings cool off a bit before I talked to him, but then I got on Twitter. You know how Chris always says how he's feeling, especially on Twitter? Well, he decided to do that earlier today, and frankly I was beyond pissed. He wrote 'and now the happiness is gone, gonna miss you angel' or something to that nature. So I texted him and pretty much called him out on it. I told him that I thought it was very immature and that it wasn't anyone else's business what we were going through..."

"No way! He said that?!" Annie interrupted, as she placed her bean burrito on her plate.

"Yeah, and normally I would just let it go, but I was so mad. He did it to get to me and it worked. But basically he felt stupid, took it down and we decided we needed to talk things out. I took your advice and decided that going out somewhere might be a better idea, so tomorrow we are going to dinner around 7" Lucy said.

"Wow. What an idiot" Annie said, "I mean I know he can be stupid sometimes, but I can't understand why he would want all that personal stuff all over Twitter".

Lucy took a sip of her wine, "I don't know, because he knew it would piss me off? I can't really think of a better reason".

They both were picking at the burritos on their plates. "You know what? Let's not worry about guys tonight. Seriously, all they do is complicate things. Let's just talk girl stuff and watch Toddlers and Tiaras and eat as much food as we can. I hate seeing my best friend upset so let's just have fun tonight" Annie said smiling.

"You are such a great friend. I love you!" Lucy said giving Annie a hug. "And I agree, there is a marathon on tonight! It's like it was meant to be!"

They both laughed and Annie got up to grab the bottle of wine they started out of the kitchen. She came back and refilled both of their glasses. "Cheers to best friends, and girl's night!" Annie said cheerfully.

"Cheers!"

The next morning Lucy woke up feeling much better than she did the morning before. She had the day off today so she was able to sleep in more than usual. She looked at her iPhone next to her to see what time it was. 10:50 am. Wow, she slept later than she thought she would. She got out of bed and walked out to the kitchen. There was a note on the counter from Annie, she was going to brunch with someone from work and would be back in a couple of hours. Lucy discarded the note and prepared a cup of coffee. She fed and watered Jack and decided that since Annie would be gone for a bit, she would go workout. She went back into her room and changed into her favorite cropped yoga pants, a sports bra and a tank top. She dug her hot pink tennis shoes out of her closet and tied them on. She walked into her bathroom and pulled her hair up into a ponytail and brushed her teeth. She grabbed her purse and phone, kissed Jack goodbye and headed out the door.

As Lucy got into her car, she realized how perfect of a day it was. The sun was shining and it was not too hot or too cold. It made her mood even better, and for some reason she was already in a great mood. She didn't really understand why, though, seeing as she was going to have a pretty stressful talk with Chris later. Pushing those thoughts aside, she drove to the gym. Once she got to the gym she worked out for over an hour and finally decided to leave, after having to pull herself from the treadmill. She loved the feeling of working out. She was able to just think and have time to herself. As she was walking to her car she got a text from Annie saying she was on her way home. As Lucy was replying she got another text. This time it was from Chris.

"Hey are we still on for tonight? I was thinking we could go to B.O.A. Steakhouse. Let me know."

She was really hoping to go somewhere that was a little more private, since there were sure to be paparazzi everywhere. She decided it was best to just agree so that they wouldn't start the night already in an argument. She simply replied "Sounds good".

On her way back to her apartment, Lucy stopped at Starbucks. She ordered her usual and made her way back home. She entered her apartment to find Annie had beat her there. "Hey, I'm surprised you beat me home!" she said cheerfully.

Annie smiled at Lucy. "Yeah, I didn't expect you to be gone! I came home right away because I had to tell you...guess who I just happened to run into?" Annie said.

"Oh God, who?" Lucy asked, even though she could guess who.

"Chris. He asked how you were doing and I said that he really messed up this time. He apparently thinks he's going to smooth the waters and everything will be okay. I didn't tell him you were planning on ending things, but I figured I should warn you. He's probably not going to like what you have to say" Annie explained.

"Ugh. You have got to be kidding me. After all the shit he says and he thinks he can just 'smooth the waters'? Well, I guess he's going to have to just face it, it's for the best we stop seeing each other, at least for now. It's like being on an emotional roller coaster with him. When it's good, it's really good, but when it's bad, it is REALLY bad"

"I know Luce, but it'll work out, one way or the other. At least it will be a public place so I doubt he will make a scene. Just stick to your guns. You know what is best for you" Annie said reassuringly.

"I know. It's just so stressful." Lucy looked down at her phone. It was already almost 2:00. "Well I think I am going to shower and grab some food before I have to get ready for my night from hell".

They both laughed and Lucy made her way into her room. She took a longer shower than normal as she thought about what she was going to even say to Chris. He was going to be difficult most likely, especially if he intended on getting back together. Lucy rubbed her temples hard as she could feel a tension headache coming on. Finally she got out of the shower and threw on some loose clothes until she felt like getting ready.

Lucy went out to the kitchen and opened the fridge looking for something to eat. She found some hummus and carrot sticks, so she pulled it out, sat at the table, and began eating. She was lost in thought when her phone started to vibrate on the table. The sound made Lucy's heart about jump out of her chest. She looked down to see who it was and a smile drew across her face. It was Ian.

"Hey, just making sure you are okay. Have you talked to Chris at all?"

Lucy smiled bigger and replied: "I'm fine, thanks. I am actually meeting up with him tonight to discuss things. Wish me luck!" She didn't know why but for some reason she was feeling nervous. It was just Ian, she talked to him all the time, why would she feel nervous? Again, as she was thinking to herself, her phone made her jump.

"Ahh well good luck with that. Glad to hear you are doing better. Let me know how everything goes tonight!"

Lucy laughed a little to herself. She placed her phone on the table and returned the hummus to the fridge. She looked at the time and decided she should get ready. She walked back to her room and Jack followed. She sat at her vanity and gave Jack a pat on the head. "Jacky, why do boys have to be so complicated? You are the only boy who doesn't confuse me or make me mad. You are such a good boy!" Jack jumped around excitedly at her feet. She laughed and patted him again before starting on her makeup. Once she finished her makeup she went to her closet to find something to wear. She settled on a black dress with white polka dots on it. After slipping into her outfit she made her way to her bathroom and dried her hair. She plugged in her curling iron and curled the ends of her hair and pinned it back into a low bun. Finally, Lucy was ready with a little over an hour to spare.

After thinking it over while getting ready, she made the decision to pack up any of Chris's belongings to give to him. If she did this, she would have to stick to her guns, right? Walking into her closet she pulled the few articles of clothing of his that were hanging up. She folded them and placed them on the bed. Next, she went to her dresser and pulled out several t-shirts and added them to the pile. Last, she threw the two pairs of shoes he left at her place on the bed. After rounding it all up, she settled everything into a large bag and sat it next to her bedroom door. She walked back out to the living room, looking for Annie, but then heard her in her room. She walked to Annie's door and knocked slightly before walking in. Annie was lying on her bed with her laptop. "Dangggg girl. You look hot! You are not going to be making it easy for Chris tonight!" Annie giggled.

"Really? Like too much? Because I was really just going for cute and casual" Lucy said sighing as she bit her lip.

"Luce, you could wear a paper bag and still look hot. Don't sweat it. Everything will be okay. I promise. And if you need to, you know you can always call me. I will come get you if I have to!" Annie said reassuringly.

"Thanks Banan. I really don't know what I'd do without you!"

The girls sat on Annie's bed laughing and gossiping until they heard a knock on the door. Lucy sighed loudly. "Well, here goes nothing".


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you for those of you who have left reviews! I am so glad you are liking the story so far. This story is going to be one with a lot of chapters, but I promise, there will be more Lucy and Ian interactions in a couple chapters ;)**

Chapter 8

Lucy straightened her dress before hesitantly opening the door. Chris stood on the other side wearing a blue button down shirt and faded red jeans. Lucy gave him a forced smile as he leaned in to give her a hug. He lingered there with his arms wrapped around her waist longer than Lucy felt comfortable. As much as she thought she had loved him, she really didn't want to be around him. Maybe letting him go would be easier than she though. Chris acted as if he was going to try to make himself comfortable in the apartment, so Lucy felt she had to step in.

"Well, we should really get going, we don't want to be late for our reservations" she said, trying not to act annoyed.

"Yeah, I mean I guess we can, but we have a little bit of time to spare, we could just hang out here for a bit" Chris countered.

"Yeah, but traffic could be bad, you never know" Lucy said back. Seriously, why did he have to be so difficult?

"Alright..." Chris said defeated. He held the door open wider for Lucy, "Ladies first".

Lucy walked out of her apartment, as Chris followed. They made their way down to his car and she settled herself into the passenger seat. She buckled up and pulled her phone out of her purse, distracting herself from Chris. Finally, after several minutes of uncomfortable silence Chris spoke up.

"So, I'm really glad you decided to go out with me tonight. I think we can find a way to make this work. I know I said some things that were wrong, and hurtful, but I am really hoping we can get past all that".

Lucy could feel the anger building up, her ears and cheeks turning red. "Chris, I don't know if we should think about getting back together right now..."

"What? I thought that was what tonight was about? Why would we be going out if you only had plans to break up?" he said with anger and surprise laced in his words.

"Look, we'll talk about it, okay? I don't want to start a fight, Chris. Can you just be civil and not get pissed at me, for once?" she said looking over to him.

Chris sighed and stared in front of him. Apparently he was just going to ignore her. After a few minutes of silence they found a parking spot and got out of the car. They walked towards the restaurant, trying to at least act like they liked each other, in case anyone was watching. As they made their way into the restaurant, Chris went to the host stand to let them know they were there. A moment later they were escorted to a booth in the back of the restaurant. Lucy was relieved that they were given at least that much privacy, seeing as how Chris was sure to get angry. They sat down across from each other each taking their own menu. The server came by quickly and they ordered a bottle of wine. When the server left Lucy and Chris looked at each other.

"So, why don't you just say it" Chris said. "Just say you're done and we can get it over with and have our last meal together in peace."

Lucy became infuriated at the fact that Chris was trying to give her a guilt trip. Suddenly the server was back with the wine. They put in their food order and went back to talking.

"Chris, look. This isn't easy for me either. I don't think you understand how much it hurt me when you said what you did. I mean, it is one thing to call me a bitch, or even to say fuck you to me. That is bad enough. But when you call me a LIAR and a CHEATER, that is the final straw. You know how I feel about cheating. I have felt the pain of it first hand, I know. I would never put someone through that, and you know it. But you cannot seem to get past mine and Ian's relationship. We're friends, Chris, and costars. You have known that since the beginning. I just wish you could let it go, but I know you won't. That is why I am saying that I think it is best we stop seeing each other."

Chris continued to look at Lucy, seeming to be at a loss for words. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, he looked down.

"Luce, I know I have been shitty to you lately, but I love you and I know that you love me. Are you really going to throw all of this away over one fight? Really? Is that all this relationship means to you? Because, I'm sorry, when I ask my girlfriend to choose between me and her best guy friend, and she says she can't choose, that hurts. That hurts pretty fucking bad. You wouldn't know that, though, because I don't have some other girl all over me all the time."

Lucy shook her head and let out a desperate laugh. "I don't know what else to say about this, Chris. I have told you so many times, you cannot make me choose between you and someone that I work with. I work directly with Ian, practically everyday. How the hell am I supposed to just kick him out of my life? I don't know what you want me to do. Because what you are asking me to do, is something that is not possible."

Just as Lucy was finishing her sentence the server was back with their dinner. He set the hot plates of food in front of each of them and left. Lucy took a long sip of her wine and looked at the food in front of her. Suddenly, she didn't feel very hungry. Chris was almost half done with his dinner when he started to speak again.

"Okay, I understand that. But can I ask you something? Is it just a friend thing? With you and Ian? I feel like I deserve to know this. Because from what I can see, he's been in love with you for a long time, and I can't help but to think that the feeling is mutual."

Lucy looked at him wide-eyed and set her fork down. She felt tears start to threaten to fall and she excused herself to the bathroom. Pushing through the door she made her way into a stall. She took a few deep breaths trying to keep the tears from falling. Why could he not just give it up? He seemed to be obsessed with Ian. She couldn't handle much more. Once she gained her composure she left the stall and checked her appearance in the mirror. Taking one last deep breath she returned to the table. As she sat down she could tell that Chris wasn't pleased.

"I'm gonna take the fact that you ran off as a no to my question" Chris said sternly.

Lucy glared at him from across the table. "No, that is not why I left. I just can't take you shoving all of this down my throat. You are obsessed. Ian and I are FRIENDS, Chris. I don't know what else to say. I feel like you won't believe me unless I say that I am madly in love with him and I have been dating him behind your back. So I am laying it on the line now. Ian and I are friends. And now, after all that has happened in the past week, and longer, you and I are too. Maybe not even that. I can't be with someone that doesn't trust me. So until that happens, we can't be together."

Chris nodded in defeat. "Okay. I guess you are right. I don't want to have to let go of what we have, but it's obvious you don't think this is going to work out".

"Look, I'm sorry. But you know this will just end uglier than it is already. I want to at least save what we do have. I want to have you in my life, but I can't go back to dating you, at least not now" Lucy said. She didn't want to hurt him, but she couldn't keep hurting herself either.

"Alright, well then I guess we should go. It's not like sitting here is going to get us anywhere" Chris said. He paid the tab and stood up not making any eye contact with Lucy.

She knew he was pissed at her. But suddenly, as they made their way to the door, they had to try to act as if nothing was wrong. Paparazzi were swarming the entrance. Chris rolled his eyes and opened the door as Lucy slipped under his arm and out the door. On their way back to the car, Lucy walked a few steps ahead of Chris and feigned happiness, hoping nobody would catch on. They made it to the car safely and headed back to Lucy's apartment. The ride back was awkward to say the least. The only sound was coming from the radio and the sound of the cars outside. As they made their way down Lucy's road Chris spoke up.

"So, should I get my stuff from your place then?"

"I have it all together already. I'll give it to you when we get inside" Lucy said quietly.

"So you really had no intentions of giving this another chance?!" Chris said raising his voice.

"Please, Chris. Can we just not fight. I am just sick of feeling like this. Like I said, right now is just bad timing for us. We can't be together. If later down the road you can get past your jealousy, maybe we can try to reconnect. I just don't know" Lucy said exasperated.

They walked up to Lucy's door not speaking. She walked in and went straight to her bedroom and picked up the bag of Chris's belongings off the floor.

"This should be everything" she said.

"Alright..." Chris ran a hand through his messy hair. "Well, can I at least call you? Or are we just going to be on non-speaking terms?"

"I think we should give it some time" Lucy said feeling uncomfortable.

"Okay. Well I guess I'll just talk to you...whenever then."

"Thanks for discussing everything with me. I think that was good for both of us. Have a good night" she said awkwardly.

Chris gave a slight smile and waved as he walked back to his car. Lucy closed the door and leaned against it as tears fell from her eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Lucy couldn't figure out why she was crying. She was relieved to not have to be in a controlling relationship. She would miss Chris, surely, but she didn't feel like that was why she was crying at all. Standing up, she went to her room and found Jack sleeping soundly at the end of her bed. She curled up next to the fuzzy dog and scratched his ears. Jack perked up excitedly and started to lick Lucy's hand and face. Lucy giggled slightly. "I love you Jacky" she told him. After cuddling with Jack for a few minutes, Lucy stood up and removed her dress and put the clothes she was wearing prior to going out back on. She retrieved the clutch she brought to dinner and took out her phone to find 3 new messages. Going down the list she found 2 from Annie and 1 from Ian. She felt a knot in her stomach as she read the names. What was going on? Ian never had that kind of effect on her. She assumed it was because of everything with Chris that was making her feel that way and checked the messages. Annie's messages read: "How is everything going?" and "I'm at work late tonight. You don't have to wait up but I wanna know everything tomorrow!" Lucy smiled at her friend's texts. Next she went to Ian's text: "Just checking in. Hope your night went alright. Feel free to call tonight if you want, if not, I'll see you tomorrow!" Lucy smiled broadly and responded: "Tonight was...ok. Better than I expected, I guess. But we will talk more tomorrow. Night Shmian!" Lucy hopped back into bed and turned off the light on her night stand. She had a call time at 9 am, so she needed to get to bed early. Slowly she drifted off to sleep.

_Lucy found herself in her dressing room with Ian. They were sitting on the couch talking about everything that happened at dinner with Chris. Suddenly, Ian put his hand on Lucy's knee and said he had to tell her something. "I hate to say it, but Chris is right. I love you, Luce. I have for a while. I really hope you feel the same way". The next thing she knew, she and Ian were kissing passionately on the couch. She felt Ian's hands roaming the sides of her body as they slowly made their way to her butt. She had her hands in his hair and she couldn't help but notice how much more she loved Ian's hair. It was so soft and curly, where Chris's was straggly and much greasier. As they were engaging in their intense makeout session, Lucy heard a loud beeping. Where was it coming from? _

Just like that, Lucy woke up. What the hell was that? She blushed hard realizing that she just had a pretty sexy dream, with Ian. Running her hands through her hair, Lucy hopped out of bed and looked at her phone to find that she had slept through her alarm twice and only had 15 minutes to get ready. She ran to her closet and threw on a white t-shirt with skulls on it. Opening her dresser, she grabbed a pair of high waisted jean shorts. She ran into the bathroom and brushed her teeth and pulled her hair into a loose ponytail. Running to the kitchen, she fed Jack and made a quick cup of coffee before heading out the door.

She made it to the Warner Brothers Studio with only 2 minutes to spare. Running as quickly as she could in her black wedge heels, she made it to her dressing room. As she was opening the door, Ian was walking down the hall.

"Hey Goose! You're running later than usual" he teased.

Lucy blushed a dark shade of red. If only he knew the reason why. "Ha yeah, I slept through my alarm. Whoops" she said hoping he didn't catch on to her embarrassment.

"Well I just talked to Joe and he said that we are first up today now, because Shay can't make it here until noon. So, he wanted me to come let you know to get to hair and makeup as soon as you could. I'm going to run to Crafty's real quick. Do you need anything?" Ian asked.

"Um, no I'm good for now. Thanks Shmian".

As Ian walked away Lucy went into her dressing room. She threw her stuff down on the table and rushed over to hair and makeup. As she was getting herself made up, all she could think about was her dream. Why was she thinking of Ian this way? They had always been just friends, great friends, but that is it. They flirted of course, but Lucy was like that with everyone. She loved boys and everyone knew it. But why was she suddenly getting nervous and acting like a 12 year old girl when she so much as read his name, let alone heard his voice. Soon she was ready to change into her Aria outfit and start shooting. She jumped off the chair and headed to her dressing room to get dressed. After changing she closed the door and headed to set. Ian was sitting in his director's chair waiting for her. She smiled when she saw he was looking at her. She couldn't help it.

"You are _finally _ready?" Ian teased.

Lucy punched him playfully in the arm. "Hey, it's not my fault that Aria has to put on so much makeup!" she threw back.

Ian leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head. "Yeah, too bad we can't all be as good looking as me, and be perfect before hair and makeup."

They both laughed, knowing that he was joking. Ian was one of the most humble guys Lucy had ever met. They continued to chat, until Joe came up to let them know they were ready to start shooting. They were in their first day of shooting the Halloween episode. The scene they were shooting was in Ezra's apartment. Ezra has to tell Aria he can't go on the A-Train with her and Aria is upset because she wants to show off her costume.

The very beginning of the scene went smoothly until Aria's line of "Playing dress up for your man on Halloween is one thing, any other day and it will land you on an afternoon talk show". For some reason, Lucy could not get the line out without laughing. Every time she would laugh Ian would laugh with her. Eventually, after several takes, they got a good shot. The next few parts of the scene went just the same as the first. Lucy couldn't seem to focus quite as well as she normally could. After they got through all their scenes for the day they went to their respective dressing rooms. Lucy had just changed back into her everyday clothes when there was a knock at her door. She opened it to find Ian on the other side. "Good thing you knocked" she teased, "I _just_ got my shirt on."

"Aw man, I should have just walked right in then!" he said back laughing. "So what was going on with you today? You are never that distracted! Although, I will say every time you would laugh I couldn't focus either. Something about that line I guess" Ian laughed.

Lucy started giggling too. "You know, I couldn't tell you. I just kept picturing something dirty in my head every time I said that line!" she said. They both started laughing again.

"Okay, but really. Are you doing alright? Like I said, you were more distracted than normal, and then you were running late today, and you never run late! I know you went out with Chris last night, did everything go alright?" Ian asked now concerned.

"I'm fine, really. Things went okay. He really wanted to get back together, but I told him that I couldn't be with him if he didn't fully trust me. He really didn't like that answer, but he didn't react as badly as I thought he would. I just think we both need time apart. Maybe that is why things were a little different today, I don't know. I mean, I feel fine, but I do know that it has been a crazy couple of days for me, so it could have affected my concentration" she said. She really did not want him to find out the real reason was because of the dream she had about him.

"Alright, if you say so" he said, not seeming to completely buy it. "By the way, what are you doing Friday night?" he asked.

"Hmm other than sitting at home watching some bad TV and eating a giant bowl of hummus, probably nothing" she laughed. "Why?"

"Well Keegs and Shay and a few other friends of mine are going to come over, and we're just going hang out. I plan on making dinner. You should come" he said smiling at her.

"Aw, thanks Shmian. I'd love to!" Lucy said giving him a hug.

"Awesome. I'll fill you in on the time and everything, but you can come over whenever. It'll be after shooting sometime, I know that much" he said as they walked out of Lucy's dressing room.

"Great! Well I will see you tomorrow, bright and early!" Lucy said cheerfully. They hugged and Lucy got into her car and headed home. As she was driving she thought about everything that had happened the last few days. She couldn't believe that she was actually talking to Ian again, more than as just a costar, but as a best friend again. She caught herself smiling and blushed at the fact that it was Ian who was causing it.

As she walked through the door, Jack met her scampering around excitedly. Lucy picked him up and snuggled with him for a few seconds before putting him down. Annie came out of her room a few seconds later asking why it took Lucy so long to get home. Lucy looked down at her phone. It was 5:23 pm. It did take quite a bit longer than she originally had planned. Annie grabbed Lucy's arm and pulled her to the couch demanding to hear how her night with Chris went.

"Holy cow, Ann, can I grab some coffee first?" Lucy laughed.

"Ugh, Luce, I have been waiting since noon to hear about this! Hurry and get some coffee, but bring me some too. Please?" she said smiling at Lucy.

Lucy got up and went to the kitchen laughing to herself. Annie was so easily excited sometimes. She made two mugs of coffee and brought them out to the living room. She sat down across from her best friend and smiled at her. "Okay, so everything went better than I expected, but he was far from happy that's for sure. Basically he wanted to try to make it work and I said that I wasn't about to try again if he didn't fully trust me. He blamed Ian for it all, of course, but I told him that he needed to trust me and that was the reason why we couldn't be together right now. So for now, we're talking a break from talking and everything. I think it is the best thing for us".

Annie was staring at Lucy as she took in the juicy gossip. "So what do you think is going to happen with you two?" she asked.

"I really don't know, Banan. Like, I really do love him, but I don't think I could be _in_ love with someone who treats me like he did. He was always so jealous of Ian and he knows that was what was driving the wedge between us. If he could get over that jealousy, maybe in the future we could work out, I don't know. But can I say that since everything went down, it is so nice to be able to really talk to Ian again. I didn't realize how much I missed him" Lucy said truthfully.

"Luce..." Annie scolded softly.

"What?" Lucy asked, not sure what Annie meant.

"You know what. Talking to Ian is probably not going to make anything better. I mean, you know that that is Chris's main problem. The fact that the minute you break up with him and then go to Ian...I don't know. What if Chris found out? He would be pissed, and there goes your chance of ever getting back together" Annie said.

Lucy didn't know what to say. She couldn't help but feel offended. "Wow, Ann. Seriously? Ian and I have been friends longer than I have known Chris. You KNOW that. And believe it or not he has helped out a lot the past few days. He is a truly great friend. If Chris never sees that, well then we are not meant to get back together I guess. I am sick of Chris determining who I talk to. We are not dating now, so he has no business in who I talk to".

"Well can I ask you a serious question?" Annie asked boldly. "Do you have real feelings for Ian? I won't judge you Luce, if you do. It's just I can't help but feel like maybe you do."

Lucy's mouth dropped open. "Really? Why are you asking me this?!" she said seriously offended. "I mean, yeah at first when I met Ian, I could have had real feelings for him. But we talked about it in the beginning, we decided it was best to stay friends. I know that and I am not even going to allow myself to think of it as more than that".

"But the fact that you thought of him that way once...you could fall for him again" Annie said quietly.

Lucy knew she was right but she couldn't face her feelings. Not yet, at least. She stood up and started towards her room. "Look Banan, I think we should stop talking about all of this. Because one of us is bound to say something hurtful. I'll be in my room".

"Just one more thing. Please Luce, do not hook up with Ian. Not now anyway. I run into Chris quite a bit and I don't know if I would have the heart to tell him. And you know that you would not want to prove him right" Annie called to Lucy.

Lucy just shook her head and closed her bedroom door behind her. Who's side was Annie on anyways?


	10. Chapter 10

**So this is the first of the next few chapters that will revolve mostly around Lucy and Ian. Hope you enjoy it! And please review :) Thanks!**

Chapter 10

Lucy woke up to her alarm bright and early Friday morning. She opened her eyes slowly, dreading the thought of getting out of bed. She rolled over to see Jack lying next to her fast asleep. Lucy reached over and stroked the curls on top of Jack's head. Jack stretched and licked Lucy's hand. "8 o'clock is too early, isn't it Jacky?" she said. She yawned and stretched before slowly making her way to her bathroom for a shower.

As she stood in the shower, Lucy couldn't help but feel excited for the day. She had to be on set by 10 AM and after shooting she was going to Ian's for a get together with a few friends. She was relieved to finally get a break after the past couple of weeks. She and Chris hadn't talked since their dinner, and she and Annie weren't speaking much since their disagreement a few nights prior. Lucy was just excited to be around people who acted like they were on her side.

Lucy got out of the shower and made her way to her closet as she tried to decide what to wear. She made her mind up on a flowy neon yellow shirt with a black mini skirt. She returned to the bathroom and finished getting around by drying her hair and applying a light amount of makeup. Since she had a little bit of time to spare, she figured she would get herself some coffee and check up on Twitter. As she went out to the kitchen and prepared a mug of coffee, Annie sleepily made her way out of her bedroom. "Morning" she said.

"Oh hey. Good morning" Lucy replied. This was the friendliest they had been in 3 days.

"Off to set early today I take it?" Annie asked.

"Yeah, I have a 10 o'clock call time. Do you want me to make you some coffee?" Lucy asked politely.

"Um yeah, sure. I could definitely use some" Annie said. "What are you doing tonight? Drew is coming over later and asked if you were going to be here".

"I won't be, actually" Lucy said. "Ian is having some people over and he invited me to come too so I will be heading over there around 7" she said, slightly nervous.

"Hmmm" Annie mustered, raising her eyebrows a little. "Okay, just wondering. Well, have fun tonight. I got to get in the shower, I have to be to work by 10 as well".

Annie left the room not saying anything more. Lucy could tell that Annie wasn't exactly happy that she was going to be spending time with Ian, but she decided that it didn't really matter what Annie thought. She wasn't going to be the only one there, so there was nothing to worry about. There wouldn't be anything to worry about if she _was_ the only one there. Would there? Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes and figured it would be better if she just left now instead of waiting. She really didn't want to deal with Annie's confrontation. She fed Jack and left for set.

Lucy pulled into the WB parking lot with Ian pulling in seconds after. She smiled and waved at him once he parked next to her. "Whoa, Mr. Harding. Are you actually early?" she teased as she got out of her car.

"I know, it is so out of character" Ian laughed. "I woke up early this morning, I couldn't sleep. So I went to Starbucks and figured I would just come here since there isn't anything real exciting to do before noon."

"Good point. So are you excited for tonight?" she asked, making conversation.

"I think it'll be a good time" he replied. "I'll admit, I am pretty excited that you will be attending, since it has been months since we have been able to do that".

Lucy blushed. "Yeah, I am pretty excited too, Shmian".

They made their way to their respective rooms and prepared for their upcoming scenes. Lucy left her dressing room after dropping off her purse and made her way to hair and makeup. While she was in the middle of getting her hair curled Shay walked in.

"Hey Luce! How are you this morning" Shay asked cheerfully.

"I'm pretty exhausted, honestly. But I couldn't be better other than that" Lucy chuckled.

"I am so excited you are coming to Ian's tonight. And don't tell him, but I am pretty sure Ian is the most excited out of all of us" Shay said smiling.

Lucy couldn't help but blush again. She gave Shay a look. "Ha, right" she said sarcastically.

"Are you blushing, Ms. Hale?!" Shay teased. "Looks like someone else is just as excited as Ian is".

Lucy got up from her chair, excited that her hair and makeup were finished. "I am only blushing because you are teasing! And I have to go get dressed so I can start shooting" she said sticking her tongue out at Shay playfully.

Shay laughed and gave Lucy a knowing look. Lucy rolled her eyes and smiled as she left to change into the dress Aria was supposed to wear.

After 4 hours of shooting their last scene from the episode, Ian and Lucy were finished. They walked back to their rooms and dressed into their regular clothes and both walked to their cars together. "So your place at 7, right?" Lucy asked.

"Seven-ish. Whenever you want to come over is fine with me" Ian smiled. "Shay and Keegan will be on set until at least 5 so they won't be there until around that time."

Lucy smiled back. "Okay, well I will go home and get ready and I will call you."

"Can't wait" Ian said.

They went their separate ways and Lucy couldn't help but laugh about her day as she was driving home. Ian was excited for her to come over, and from what Shay said, _very _excited. This made Lucy feel good. She felt as if she was trying so hard to make everyone happy and it backfired. But with Ian, she didn't have to try. He was always happy to see her and she with him. She continued to think until she made it home.

As she entered her apartment she found a note from Annie saying someone was coming to repair the dent in the wall left by Chris. "Finally", she thought. Lucy made her way to her room and dropped her belongings on the bed before walking into her closet to choose an outfit for the night. She wanted to look good, but not overdone. Eventually, she settled on a simple fitted black dress. Pulling the dress from the closet, she laid it out on the bed and held different accessories up to it. Lucy settled on some gold chevron shaped earrings and a matching necklace and topped it off with her Jeffrey Campbell printed wedges. After finding the perfect outfit she made her way to the bathroom and curled her hair and reapplied some makeup. She looked at her phone and found that it was 5:40. She had plenty of time, but she was so excited she decided to change into her outfit already. Digging through her underwear drawer, she found her favorite lacy black underwear and matching pushup bra. She slipped into the undergarments and slid into her dress and shoes. Just as she was securing her earring Lucy heard her ringtone. She rushed over to find it was a text from Ian.

"Hey, just letting you know that Keegs and Shay are done at work and will probably be over early. Come over when you are ready."

Lucy's could feel her heart pounding. Why was she so nervous? She took a deep breath and replied: "Awesome! I will leave my place in 5. See you soon :)".

Grabbing her purse and keys she closed the door behind her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Ok so this is probably my favorite chapter I have written so far. This is also the chapter that makes this story rated M. If mature content isn't your thing, this might not be the chapter to read. Hope you all enjoy it!**

Chapter 11

Lucy pulled into the lot of Ian's apartment complex. After parking she took a deep breath. 'Alright Luce, you can do this. He is your friend. It is nothing different than it was 6 months ago. Quit stressing' she told herself. She exited her car and made her way to Ian's door. Knocking once, it swung open and she was greeted with a hug from Ian. He smelled so good. She walked into the living room of his apartment to find his friend Landon sitting on a bar stool by the kitchen. She said hello before taking a seat at one of the other stools and leaned against the counter in front of her.

"So, can I get you some wine, Luce?" Ian asked.

"Yeah, that would be great. Thanks" she said politely. "It smells amazing in here. What are you cooking?"

Ian sat a glass of white wine in front of her. "I'm making my famous fettucini and pesto with homemade garlic bread" he said proudly.

"Well, it smells amazing and I can't wait to taste it" she said smiling.

For the next 20 minutes Lucy, Ian and Landon all talked aimlessly. A few moments later Keegan and Shay came through the front door. "Keegs! Shay! Glad you guys could finally make it!" Ian teased.

"Well Mr. Harding," Shay said "we both had quite a few scenes to finish today, unlike your _one_". She laughed and poured a glass of wine for herself. She brought the bottle over to Lucy and filled her glass up again as well.

After talking and laughing some more, the food was finished. They all grabbed a plate and began eating. "Oh my God, Ian! I forgot how good you were!" Lucy gasped.

Keegan started laughing "That's what she said."

Suddenly they all started laughing, while Lucy blushed.

"At COOKING!" she corrected, laughing at her mistake.

"Righttt, Luce. We all know what you meant" Keegan teased again giving a wink.

Lucy shook her head and laughed at her friend. She stood up from her place on the floor. "Anyone else need a refill?" she asked holding up her wine glass.

"Yes, please!" Shay said passing her glass.

Lucy walked to the kitchen and filled the two glasses. She was on her fourth glass and was feeling pretty tipsy. She didn't care, she was having so much fun. Walking back to the living room, she handed Shay her glass and sat back down.

"Thanks, Goose" Shay said. "Okay, so don't get mad at me, but I have a question. Why aren't you and Ian dating exactly?" she gave each of them a look.

Lucy's eyes went wide and she looked at Ian who gave her a similar look. Suddenly, both were stuttering. "Um, well, I don't know...we're friends, Shay. You know that!" Lucy said as she pushed her arm playfully. This was the bad part of getting drunk with her close friends, this question always came up.

"Right, what she said" Ian added.

"Dude, admit it. You guys are attracted to each other. I mean, you guys legitimately makeout every kissing scene you have! I think Troian and I are good actors too and we don't use that much tongue" Keegan pointed out.

"Keegs, we have gone over this. We want to make it look believable! If we just kissed closed mouthed it wouldn't look like we were in love" Lucy said.

"Okay, but I'm saying you don't have to use that much tongue to be believable, and maybe you do because you guys really are in love" he said laughing.

Lucy rolled her eyes and laughed. "I don't think so" she blushed.

"Okay, that's enough" Ian said. "If anyone is in love it's you and Shay and you know it!"

"I do love Shay!" Keegan said.

Shay punched Keegan in the arm. "Oh my God Keegan, not like that!"

"Maybe...maybe not" he teased.

This time it was Shay rolling her eyes. She got up saying she had to go to the bathroom and Lucy tagged along since she had to go too. They went down the hall to the bathroom, giggling all the way. As they closed the door, Shay gave Lucy a look.

"What?" Lucy asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

"Luce! Oh my God, you make it so obvious!" Shay said.

"What? What are you talking about?" Lucy said oblivious.

"You like Ian and you know it. Don't even try denying it. I can tell" she said smiling.

Lucy's eyes went wide again and then she felt her cheeks flush. Shay started giggling more and gave her a hug. "I won't say anything. Promise. But I have a feeling you will have some stories for me on Monday, since you are obviously not going home tonight!" Shay said excitedly.

Lucy shushed her. "Promise me you will not say anything. I might like him a little. I have since I first saw him. But we're such good friends, I don't think I want to ruin that. Plus with just breaking up with Chris...I just don't know what I want. I have been thinking about him a lot lately though..." Lucy told Shay.

"Oh my gosh! I knew it! Luce, go for it. We have all known for a while that you guys are meant to be. Seriously. I think now is perfect timing. Keegs and I will be leaving soon, so you guys will have a chance to talk...and maybe more" she said winking.

"Stop" Lucy said laughing. "We need to get back out there before the boys come looking for us".

The girls stumbled back into the living room arm in arm, giggling. They sat down clumsily.

"How was your trip to the bathroom, ladies?" Ian teased.

"Oh, you know, just like every other trip to the bathroom. Lots of gossip" Shay said giggling more.

Lucy started to giggle along with her friend.

"So are you ready to go?" Keegan asked Shay. "I think it's about time we cut you off".

"Sure" she said. "I'm exhausted anyway. Thanks so much Ian! This was such a fun night, we need to do it again very soon!" Shay said hugging Ian.

She walked over to Lucy giving her a big hug. "And you" she whispered, "need to tell me EVERYTHING on Monday!"

"If there is anything to tell" Lucy replied quietly.

Before long Keegan, Shay and Landon all left. Lucy sat on the couch with her 6th glass of wine while Ian sat next to her with a beer in his hand.

"So that was...fun" Ian said.

"I thought so" Lucy laughed. "Sorry about that awkward conversation Keegs decided was necessary."

"No, no. I didn't mind" he smiled. "I hear it all the time".

"Glad I'm not the only one" Lucy said. She leaned her head back onto the back of the couch and smiled. She felt so good, she couldn't help it.

"What?" Ian asked.

"Nothing. I am just really happy, is all" she said looking at him.

"Are you sure you're not just drunk?" he laughed.

"Well, happy and drunk. But seriously, I have not been this happy in so long. Thank you for tonight" Lucy said grabbing his hand.

"Not a problem. I am really happy you came over. And I'm not trying to hit on you, but you are not about to go home this drunk" he said smiling at her.

"I didn't plan on it" she said moving a little closer.

"Well, good" Ian said clearing his throat. He looked at Lucy and they both smiled.

Lucy couldn't help it. She was genuinely happy. Of course she was drunk, so she was much flirtier and much more forward, but this is what she wanted, right? She knew it was probably the wrong idea, but she didn't care. She leaned in and kissed Ian softly on the lips.

Ian pulled back slightly and gave Lucy a look. "Luce, are you sure about this?" he asked cautiously.

"Ian, you make me happier than I have been in months. I just want to not care what anyone thinks for one night and do what I want. And right now, this feels right" she said quietly.

Ian nodded and placed a soft kiss onto Lucy's lips. She kissed back more forcefully. Suddenly she felt Ian's tongue slide across her bottom lip and she opened her mouth allowing him to deepen the kiss. She locked her hands behind his head as he placed one hand on her hip and the other in her hair. Before long she was pushing him down on the couch and pressed her body down on his. She moved one of her hands to his hair pulling gently as she pulled at the hem of his shirt with the other. He moved one of his hands to her butt and gave it a gentle squeeze. She moaned into his mouth. She could not believe how good it felt to kiss him for real. They kissed one other time days after they first met, but they decided to stay friends to make sure a relationship wouldn't ruin their chemistry for the show. She felt that this was much better than the first kiss. It was much more passionate, partly because of the alcohol but mostly from all the sexual tension over the past 3 years. She continued to play with the hem of his shirt and slowly slid her hand under it causing Ian to gasp a little into her mouth.

"Do you think we could move this to somewhere...more comfortable?" she asked.

Ian nodded quickly. "Yeah" he said before kissing her again, hard. He lifted Lucy's tiny body from his and carried her into his bedroom. He laid her down on the comforter before climbing onto the bed himself. She slid to the top of the bed and laid down onto the pillows. He kissed her again, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. She pulled at his shirt and he broke the kiss only long enough to remove it and toss it to the floor. They went back to kissing as her hands caressed his chest. She pulled him closer as he slid his hands down her hips. She moved one hand down to his belt and started to undo it. Ian moved his lips to Lucy's neck leaving open mouthed kisses in a line down to her collar bone. "Luce, are you sure you want to do this? I don't want you to regret it in the morning" Ian said gently.

"Ian, I can't even stand how bad I want you right now. I've wanted this for 3 years" she replied.

"Me too" he said breathlessly as he started to slide her dress up her hips. He pulled the dress over her head and tossed it to the floor. He moved his hands to her breasts and caressed them through her bra. Lucy arched her back pushing them further into his hands. She continued with his belt and unbuttoned his jeans kicking them down off his legs. He kicked them off the end of the bed and reached behind Lucy to unhook her bra. Before long they were only in their underwear. Lucy could feel his manhood on her leg. She had never wanted anything so much in her life. She reached down and dipped her hand into his boxer briefs and wrapped her hand around him. Ian moaned as her tiny hand started to pump him. He kissed down her neck again and down to her breasts as he kissed and sucked on each one. After a few seconds he reached his hand between her legs and felt her through her panties. She was wet with want for him. He hooked his fingers into the sides of her underwear and slid them down her legs. From there he slid one finger up and down her until finally pushing two fingers inside. He began to give a come hither motion while he pushed his thumb against her. Lucy couldn't take the pleasurable stimulation and she began to convulse around his hand. She reached down after her first orgasm and tore his boxer briefs off of him. She began pumping harder when Ian took her hand with her other and held them above her head. He slowly kissed down her body. He got to her hips and kissed down each leg, teasing, and gave her a smile before moving to her center. She could not believe that she was in the middle of such an intimate moment with her best friend. That along with the pleasure he was causing her below made her shiver more. After riding out her pleasure once more, she pulled him up and kissed him before pushing him down on the bed. "It's my turn, Mr. Harding" she said smiling seductively.

Lucy kissed her way down his body starting at his neck. He moaned in pleasure which in turn made her feel good. She had never felt so sexy with any other guy. She made her way down until she reached his member and placed her mouth around it. She started out slow and picked up the pace as she heard him breathing faster. Before long he pulled her off of him and brought her to his chest. "I'm not coming that quick" he laughed.

Ian rolled on a condom and slowly entered Lucy. She pulled him as close as she could get and wrapped her legs around his waist. They started out slow but picked up the pace quickly. Lucy was on the verge of her 3rd orgasm when she felt Ian speed up. Lucy looked up into Ian's eyes with more than just want, but pure adoration. They were both panting and suddenly she stiffened up and relaxed minutes later. She knew what would get Ian to finish. She left open mouthed kisses along his neck and collarbone and moaned once into his ear and within seconds he was done for. Ian stiffened up then fell onto Lucy panting. "Wow" he said still breathing heavily. "What the hell just happened?" he asked smiling brightly.

"I'm asking myself the same thing" Lucy said glowing. She pulled Ian close into a hug as he pulled himself out of her also relishing in the embrace. Finally, he discarded the condom and rolled onto his back. Lucy cuddled up to him with her head on his chest. "Thank you so much for tonight, Ian. I really do love you" she said sleepily.

Ian was shocked to hear those words from her mouth. Whether they were the truth or alcohol induced, he didn't care. "I love you too, Luce" he said pulling her closer. He looked down and noticed she was already fast asleep. He smiled, kissed the top of her head and fell asleep himself.


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you guys for the reviews on the last chapter! I am so happy it was received so well. I know I posted the first 11 chapters pretty quickly, but unfortunately I will probably not be able to post the rest quite as fast. I wrote the first 15 chapters before publishing at all so I am getting closer to the chapters I am currently writing. I will post a new chapter as often as I can though :)**

Chapter 12

The next morning came all to quickly. Ian slowly opened his eyes as sunlight shone though the blinds directly into his face. He blinked a few times before looking down at the mess of dark hair covering the gorgeous face at his side. He smiled to himself. He couldn't believe what had just happened not even 12 hours prior. He ducked down and kissed the top of Lucy's head which caused her to stir. She curled herself closer to Ian's chest and her eyes fluttered open slowly. "Good morning, sleepy head" Ian said to her smiling.

"Morning" Lucy said sleepily.

"So, you feeling okay this morning? Or are you feeling hungover?" he asked.

"I feel great, just tired is all. I think I could sleep for a few more hours" Lucy answered.

Ian laughed. "Yeah, I will admit, though, I slept better last night than I have in a really long time".

Lucy looked up at him. Ian looked down at her and placed a light kiss to her lips. She gave him a small smile.

"So, last night. Wow" Ian said, a huge grin plastered on his face.

"Ha, yeah. Wow is probably the best word for it" Lucy said. Ian heard a tinge of uncertainty in her voice.

He turned over and faced her. "Luce, do you regret it? You don't sound near as excited as you did last night..."

"No, Ian, believe me it was great. I can honestly say I have never felt that good in my life. And I meant everything I said. I just...I don't know. Was it smart to act on our feelings? I just feel like all this is going to blow up in our faces. I know when I get home Annie is going to ask what happened. I told her I wouldn't hook up with you and I did just that...I just feel like this...us...is going to cause everyone else a lot of pain" Lucy said conflicted.

"Luce, I meant what I said last night too. And I have never felt like this before. You're it. I know that. And I know as well as you do that this has been in the back of our minds since we met. How is it going to hurt other people?" he asked.

Lucy sighed and she felt the sting of oncoming tears in her eyes. "I don't know, Ian. I mean I just ended things with Chris a week ago. This was the reason why. I told him we were just friends, and I thought we were. I don't know I guess I have been just trying so hard to convince myself that that is all we are and will ever be. But when I got the chance to show you how I felt I guess my feelings took over my logic. I just don't want everyone to find out we hooked up a week after everything and freak out. That would look _really_ bad. It's just, I feel like if Chris were to find out about this he would claim I cheated. In a way I feel like I did. All this time I have had feelings for you. I didn't think I did but he kept telling me that he was sure we were more than friends. I guess after hearing it so much I really started to feel it again. I didn't want to but I just can't help it..."

Tears began to fall from her eyes. Ian took Lucy's face in his hands as he wiped the tears that had fallen.

"Luce, nobody has to find out about this. I understand. I don't want you to get hurt by this. Believe me I thoroughly enjoyed last night, but if you never want it to happen again, I understand. We can do whatever you want. If you want to continue being just friends, then so be it. But please, just don't say you regret it. Because nothing has ever felt so right" he said tears clouding his own vision.

Lucy placed her hands over his and leaned in to kiss him. "Ian, I would never regret it. Like I said, I have never felt so good, and so happy in my whole life. I meant it when I said I love you. I just don't know if we should do this again, as much as I would love to. I need to figure everything out first..."

Ian kissed Lucy's forehead and pulled her into a tight embrace. They laid there silently, taking in the feeling of being in each others arms. Neither one knew for sure if it would happen again. After a few minutes Lucy looked up to Ian.

"Maybe I should go. I really just need to think everything over."

"Do you have to go now? Can I at least make you breakfast? C'mon it'll make me feel a lot better" he said pleadingly.

Lucy laughed a little. "Okay, but only because you are such an amazing cook."

Ian's signature smile crossed his face again. He leaned in and kissed her forehead again before rolling out of bed. He picked up the boxer briefs off the floor and put them on before making his way out of the bedroom.

Lucy watched as Ian left the room. The way he looked in just his underwear made Lucy want to have an encore of the night before. Damn he was hot she thought. She smiled goofily as she thought of how amazing Ian really was. Finally she decided she should get out of bed too. She stood up and put her bra and panties back on before making her way to the kitchen.

Lucy went straight from the bedroom to the bar stool she sat on the night before. She leaned onto the counter with both elbows, purposefully making her breasts appear larger. "So, what are you making me for breakfast, Chef Harding?" she said seductively.

"I'm making some blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs" he said. A few seconds later he turned around taking in the sight of Lucy clad only in a bra and panties. He swallowed hard. "It'll be done in a few" he said turning around quickly.

Lucy giggled. She loved that she had this effect on him. She hopped off the stool as she made her way to the kitchen. She found the plates and placed two on the breakfast bar along with two glasses and forks. She opened the fridge and found some orange juice. "Orange juice?" she asked.

"Uh" Ian cleared his throat, "yes please".

She poured the juice into both glasses and placed it back in the fridge. Ian turned the stove off and placed 3 pancakes on each plate along with a scoop of scrambled eggs. Lucy walked over to Ian and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Thanks for making me breakfast, Shmian" she said with a smile.

He smiled back trying not to stare at her mostly naked body. They sat down and started to eat their breakfast. Ian looked to Lucy finally. "So what should we do about this? Do we completely stop, or just do it secretly? I mean, I don't know about you, but it is going to be really damn hard for me to not just kiss you again. Especially after last night. And now this morning..." he said trailing off.

"Could we keep this a secret though? People are bound to find out. God, why does this have to be so difficult. If I had my way I would say lets be together and screw what everyone else says. But I know if I do that, I will lose a ton of respect from a lot of people...and I don't know if I am ready for that" she said honestly.

Ian placed his hand over Lucy's. "Luce, we can do whatever you want. Really. I won't be angry. You are in a different place than I am. Sophia and I are over and have been for a couple of months now, but you are fresh out of a relationship. So, I want you to decide what is best for you. But I am going to be completely honest with you. My feelings for you are sure as hell not going away now. Especially when you are sitting in front of me wearing nothing but your underwear" he said.

Lucy couldn't help but be extremely turned on, especially after everything the night before and then watching Ian cook in nothing but boxer briefs. It was practically any girl's fantasy. Suddenly without thinking, Lucy launched herself at Ian locking her mouth onto his firmly. He slid his tongue into her mouth and pulled her into his lap. Lucy tangled her hands into Ian's curls as he caressed her breasts. After several minutes they pulled away to catch their breath. Ian leaned his forehead against Lucy's. "See, how are we going to stop from doing THAT every time we see each other?" he asked smiling.

"I have no idea, but we need to. At least for now" she said kissing him chastely before climbing off his lap. "I should get dressed now" she said smirking at him.

He slapped her butt softly as she walked to the bedroom. She turned and blushed and shook her finger at him. "I thought we were going to keep our hands off each other" she said teasingly. Ian chuckled as she sauntered into the bedroom.

A few minutes later Lucy came back out from the bedroom. She picked up her purse and walked over to Ian. "Okay, so now I really need to go. I have a ton of thinking to do today" she said sighing.

Ian placed his hands on her hips. "Alright, if you have to. But keep me informed on what you decide. I'm here for you, Luce. Okay? And I promise, whatever your decision is, I am going to back you up 100%" he said.

Lucy smiled. "And this is why I love you. No other guy is as genuine and amazing as you are." She raised up onto her toes and kissed Ian gently on the lips. "I'll see you on Monday, Mr. Harding. Don't have too much fun while I am gone" she said winking.

Lucy walked to the door and turned to look at Ian one last time. She smiled and waved as she closed the door behind her. She made her way to her car and decided to check her phone before hitting the road. 1 text message. It was from Annie.

"I take it you are staying at Ian's place tonight?"

Lucy rolled her eyes, but could feel her heart start to pound against her chest. Shit. How was she going to explain this to her best friend? She took off down the road and drove slowly on the way home. She decided that she would just tell Annie the truth, but maybe not all the details. If Annie was her true friend, she would take her side, right?


	13. Chapter 13

**I just wanted to say thank you so much for the great support I have received for this story! It really means a lot to know that you are enjoying it so far! Between the reviews I have gotten as well as messages on Twitter it is overwhelming! Thank you all. Here is Chapter 13, hope you all enjoy :)**

Chapter 13

Lucy sighed as she got to the door of her apartment. She entered quietly, but Jack outed her. He came running to the door barking loudly, excited she was back home. "Hey Jacky, momma's home" she said sweetly. She looked up to find Annie and Drew sitting at the table in the kitchen. "Hey" she said cautiously.

"How was your night?" Annie asked curiously.

"It was fun" Lucy said trying not to give anything away.

"So what did you guys do?"

"Um nothing too exciting. Ian made all of us dinner and we had some drinks. We all just hung out but it was a chill night" Lucy said nonchalantly.

"Oh, I see. So how drunk did you get?" she asked.

"Well, I had too much to drive. I wasn't completely wasted or anything" she said. She felt as if she was defending herself, even though she shouldn't have had to. "I'm going to go shower quick, though".

Lucy excused herself to her bedroom and took her phone from her bag. She went to 'Shmian' in her phone and texted him: "Well, Annie is pissed. And I haven't even really told her anything yet. Wish me luck". She dropped her phone to her bed and made her way to the bathroom. Stripping her clothes off she stepped under the hot water. She sighed as she thought of how she was going to explain what happened to Annie. She knew Annie would be pissed, but she really had no right to be. Lucy and Chris were broken up so why couldn't she date other people? All these thoughts flowed through her mind until she finally got the courage to get out of the shower. After wrapping a towel around her body, Lucy went to her room and pulled on some sweatpants and a tank top. She towel dried her hair and made her way back out to the kitchen. When she got there, Annie wasn't there. Lucy went back to her room, hoping to have a little time before telling her friend what had happened.

Lucy picked her phone back up from the bed to find a new message from Ian. "She has absolutely no reason to be pissed. If things get bad, you can come back here and stay with me...I wouldn't mind ;)"

Lucy rolled her eyes and laughed to herself. Although Ian was such a gentleman, he was still a guy and had the mind of one, but she loved that about him. She replied to his text: "I'm sure you wouldn't mind, but in case you forgot, we're going to TRY to keep our feelings in check. Remember? haha. I will fill you in later".

Just as she was finishing her text Annie knocked on Lucy's bedroom door. "You can come in" Lucy called to her.

"Hey" Annie said. "Drew just left. So what happened last night?" she asked.

"Um. Well. Uh..." Lucy stuttered. She sighed and sat down on her bed. She didn't know how to say it.

Annie sat next to her best friend and took her hands. "You guys hooked up didn't you?" she asked.

Lucy looked into Annie's eyes and looked back down. She felt tears start to form in her eyes and a lump in her throat. "Um, yeah. I guess. Yeah. I'm sorry Banan. I couldn't help it. I just...I don't know what the hell I was thinking. I know I am stupid and it was wrong, but it just felt...right" she said starting to cry.

"Luce..." Annie said consoling her. "It's okay. I mean, yeah, it probably wasn't the smartest idea you've had, but it happened. There is nothing you can do about it now. Did he pressure you?" she asked.

Lucy looked Annie in the eyes, suddenly a little angry. "Why would you think he would pressure me, Ann?"

"Luce, I know he has loved you for awhile, it's pretty obvious. And he knows you just broke up with Chris. You are pretty vulnerable right now. I mean, if he pressured you to do something, I will kick his ass" she said protectively.

"Ann, no he did not pressure me. If anything it was my idea. Just because he has been 'in love with me' or so you say for a long time, does not make him a pervy asshole. He would never pressure me. Ever. He is way too much of a gentleman to do that" Lucy said seriously offended.

"So you are the one who initiated it?! What the hell were you thinking, Luce? You and Chris JUST broke up and if I am not mistaken, you assured him that you and Ian were just _friends_" Annie said.

Tears started flowing freely again from Lucy's eyes. "I know, I don't know why, Banan, but for the past couple weeks, my feelings for Ian have just been out of control. I honestly think that Chris made me start feeling them again. He was just so jealous and kept bringing Ian up and it's like the more he brought him up, the more I thought about him. And then earlier this week I had a dream about him and I just haven't gotten him out of my mind since".

"Luce, if Chris finds out, you know that he won't let you live it down. What am I supposed to tell him if he asks?" Annie said anger laced in her words.

"Please, Banan, please don't tell him we hooked up. I won't do it again, okay? We were drunk, so I guess we just let our feelings get the best of us. It was a one time thing. Just please don't tell Chris. He will ruin me. You know he will." Lucy began panicking.

"So you want me to lie to him? Luce, if you would have been thinking in the first place we wouldn't be in this damn situation!" Annie said firmly.

"I know. I was stupid. I was caught up in the moment. Please. I promise you. I won't do it again. I will talk to Ian and let him know we are only going to be friends. Nothing more. Okay? Just please. As your best friend I am asking you to just do this for me" Lucy pleaded.

"Okay...but please Luce, don't do it again, okay? Like I said, I run into Chris quite a bit and you don't know how hard it would be to lie to him. He is still my friend, whether you are with him or not. I will lie for you this time, but don't do it again."

"Thank you so much, Ann! I love you!" Lucy said giving Annie a huge hug.

Annie hugged Lucy back and sighed. "What are we going to do with you?" she asked smiling.

That night, Lucy decided she was in need for some girl time. She, Annie, and her other close friend Claire were going to go out to dinner and drinks. She changed from her sweats into a black and pink dress. She curled her hair and applied some makeup before adding a few accessories to complete her outfit. The girls decided they would go to their favorite sushi restaurant. Claire met at their apartment shortly after Lucy was ready and they took off for the restaurant.

Once they were seated in a booth the girls all ordered drinks and some sushi. The girls chatted and gossiped, but once the drinks started flowing, their conversations became more serious.

"So Luce," Claire asked, "what went down with Chris?"

"He was getting out of control with the jealousy. I couldn't take it anymore. So long story short, I ended it because I was sick of the fighting" Lucy said simply.

"Was he still jealous over Ian? Oh my God, you guys work together, what does he expect!" Claire exclaimed.

Annie gave Lucy a look. Lucy looked down embarrassed.

"What?" Claire asked, sensing something was wrong.

"Promise not to say a word?" Lucy said.

"Promise...what the hell happened?!" Claire exclaimed.

"Umm Ian and I hooked up last night" she said blushing. "We didn't really intend for it to happen. We were drinking and I don't know I guess our feelings just got in the way".

"_Our_ feelings? Meaning you _do_ have feelings for him, too? I knew it!" Claire said smiling.

"Claire, don't egg her on!" Annie said. "If Chris finds out who knows what he'll do. That's the whole reason they broke up, because he thought something was going on, but Luce said they were friends."

"I know, but you have to admit, Luce and Ian are wayyy cuter together and it's hard denying their chemistry! I have thought that since the beginning" Claire said.

"Yeah, but it's still not right" Annie retorted.

"Seriously, guys, can we talk about something else?! I'm already having a hard time trying to figure out what to do here. This isn't really making things easier" Lucy said frustrated.

Claire grabbed Lucy's hand. "Luce, do what makes _you_ happy. Don't worry about anyone else. That's your problem. You care too much about everyone else and not enough about yourself. I won't judge you either way" she said, giving Annie a look.

Annie put her hands up in defeat. "Luce, I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be judgmental, it's just being friends with Chris and you makes it hard. I don't want to see either of you hurt. And knowing that you hooked up with the guy that Chris suspected kind of makes it hard on me. I don't want to have to lie, but if I am going to lie for anyone, it would be you" she said sympathetically.

"Thanks Banan. I don't want to make you feel like you have to lie, so I am promising you and myself that I am not going to allow that to happen again. I'm just confused. I don't know what I feel. I mean, I thought I loved Chris, and I thought all my feelings were gone for Ian. I guess maybe I was lying to myself. I am pretty convincing I guess, when I convince myself even" Lucy said.

The girls gave Lucy reassuring hugs promising to be by her side no matter what she decided. After finishing their meals they sobered up some before driving back to the apartment. Once they arrived, Lucy invited Claire to stay over so she wouldn't have to drive home so late. All three girls went into the apartment and headed straight for bed. Claire decided to share Lucy's bed since it was bigger. The girls wished Annie goodnight and slid into Lucy's queen sized bed. Before they fell asleep Claire spoke up.

"Luce?" she whispered.

"Yeah Claire Bear?"

"I want you to know, that no matter what Annie says, you will have me on your side. To be completely honest, I was never a big fan of Chris. I knew you could do better. I really do like Ian though, I always have. Maybe you should give it some time, but you and Ian do deserve each other" she said sweetly.

"I love you. I don't think you know how much that means to me, Claire. I know Annie cares about me but the fact that she is friends with Chris still, I don't know, it sort of hurts. I just hate where I am right now with everything. It is all so confusing. But seriously, your support means everything to me" Lucy said.

"I love you too, Lucy Goose. I just wanted you to know that. I'm here no matter what. But I am going to sleep now" she said giggling. "G'night".

"Night, Claire Bear".


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The next morning all the girls slept in late. Lucy and Claire would have slept all day if it weren't for Claire's phone ringing. The ringing woke Lucy from her slumber, but Claire didn't budge. After her phone went off twice, Lucy gently shook Claire. "Claire Bear, your phone is ringing off the hook!"

"Hmm?" Claire said sleepily. She rolled over and answered her phone. It was her boyfriend Kurt. "Hey. Yeah, I am still at Luce and Annie's. It's already past noon?! Yeah, I'll be home soon. I love you, too."

"Kurt?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah. I forgot we were going to go for brunch today, but I slept in a little late" she said smiling.

"Aw, I'm sorry, I would have reminded you if I'd had known" Lucy said.

"No, it's fine. Really. He's not mad. I should get going soon though. I can't believe we slept this late!" Claire said as she sat up in bed.

Lucy followed suit. She checked her own phone to find no missed calls or texts. She would be lying if she said she wasn't slightly disappointed. Both girls clambered out of bed and made their way into the kitchen. Lucy started some coffee and fed Jack. The girls sat at the table and began talking about their night. A few seconds later, Annie came into the kitchen.

"You guys finally got up!" she exclaimed smiling.

"Yeah, I guess we were really tired" Lucy laughed, "Claire didn't even hear her phone. We would still be sleeping if I didn't hear it."

"Good thing you heard it Luce, if not Kurt would have thought I died or something last night" she said giggling. "I'm going to head home though, I think he is anxious to see me".

"Okay, thank you so much for coming last night!" Lucy said hugging her friend. "And thanks for the support, I love you!"

"You know it Luce. I would do anything for you! I love you too, and we'll catch up soon" Claire said back.

Claire hugged Annie as well before heading out the door. Lucy and Annie sat at the table again and started to talk again about their night. Lucy was a little unsure how to take Annie at the moment since she seemed to be a little irritated the past few days with Lucy's decisions. After contemplating it, Lucy decided to confront Annie about it. "Okay Ann, I know that you are not exactly happy with how I handled everything with Ian and Chris. I can stand the fact that Chris would be pissed, but not you. You are one of my best friends and the thought of you being mad at me kills me" she said honestly.

"Luce, I'm not mad at you. Yeah, I was a little at first because I really don't want to see you get hurt. I love you, you know that. I just know that Chris is pretty temperamental and I don't want him finding out anything and taking it out on you" Annie said as she moved closer to her friend, "I'm not mad at you though. I just want you to be happy. If that is with Ian, then so be it. I just don't want anything bad to happen to you".

"Thanks, Banan. I love you. I know you are worried about me, but don't be. I will be okay. Things are a little crazy at the moment, but I am slowly figuring things out. I don't intend on hooking up with Ian again anytime soon, so don't worry about that-"

"But if you want to, I'll support you" Annie interrupted. "I didn't at first, but I know that you can't really help who you fall in love with."

"I know. But I can't tell you how much it means to me that you aren't mad. It helps a lot actually" Lucy said leaning in to hug her friend.

"You're my best friend, Luce. I'm here for you. Have you decided what you are going to do though?" Annie asked.

"Ugh, I really don't know, Banan. What do I do? I know that if Chris finds out all hell will break loose, but I'm around Ian so often I just don't know how easy it will be to just pretend nothing happened. I will see him tomorrow and I don't even know what I am going to say, and I am sure he will ask. I really love him though, Banan. But I am just afraid that if we are together it will end up hurting more people than it's worth" Lucy said. She began fidgeting with the hem of her shirt to keep from crying.

"Luce, whatever you decide is going to be the best decision. I am here for you either way" Annie said. She realized that Lucy was about to cry. "Oh Lucy, please don't cry. It's going to be okay. Everything will work out" she said soothingly.

"I just wish I would have kept my feelings in check. I would be in a much better place. But I had to go and screw everything up. I just don't know how I would ever tell Ian, after everything that happened, that we have to be just friends. Because clearly there's more to it. But it kills me to think that Chris was right all along" Lucy said sniffling.

"Fuck Chris. Who cares about him. I know that he and I are friends, but Lucy, you mean a hell of a lot more to me than he does. I just want you to be happy. Do whatever your heart tells you to" Annie said. She wiped the tears off Lucy's face. "How about we go do something today? That way we can keep your mind off everything. Wanna go to The Grove?"

Lucy chuckled a little. "Ann, you always know how to cheer me up. Thank you. And maybe you're right. I think we should get out of this apartment for a while. I need to just keep busy because the more I think about it, the worse it gets".

"Well let's go get ready then! I'm going to shower, but then we will go shop and get some lunch" Annie said cheerfully.

As Annie skipped to her room, Lucy smiled slightly. She was so relieved that Annie wasn't angry with her. She stood up and went to her room to shower. After showering Lucy changed into her high wasted jean shorts and a loose grey tank. She dried her hair and applied very little makeup. She added her favorite fedora and met Annie in the living room.

The girls took off to the mall but stopped at a little cafe before shopping. They ate a small lunch then went to The Grove to shop. Lucy was relieved that she we being kept busy so that she didn't dwell on her overwhelming problems. After several hours of shopping, the girls took off back to their apartment.

The girls arrived back home late into the evening and each had an early morning the next day. They brought all their bags into the apartment and showed each other everything they bought. They curled up on the couch and watched a few shows on TV before getting around for bed. As Annie was about to go into her room Lucy called to her. "Hey Banan?"

"Yeah, Luce?"

"Thanks for today. You are amazing" Lucy said sincerely.

"Awe. I love you Luce! G'night!" Annie replied.

"Night" Lucy said as she made her way into her room. She needed to get to sleep, because tomorrow was going to be a big day.

**I am warning everyone now that there is going to be some conflict for Lucy and Ian coming up. I am doing this 1. because it definitely adds to the story I am creating, and 2. because at the time this story is taking place, Lucy and Ian seemed to have a little bit of a strained friendship and I am trying to be somewhat accurate! But I promise you, I am a HUGE Lucian shipper, so don't be too concerned ;)**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Monday morning came around too soon. Lucy rolled over to turn off her blaring alarm, groaning at the thought of getting out of bed. It was 9 am and she had a call time at 10:30. After lying there for several minutes she dragged herself out of bed to her shower. She stood under the water thinking about how her day was going to go. She knew that she would have to talk to Ian about where they were going to take their relationship, and that thought only stressed Lucy out. She hopped out of the shower and dressed in one of her favorite worn t-shirts and skinny jeans. She finished getting around and made her way to the WB studio.

Lucy pulled into her usual parking spot and walked into the building. She had 2 scenes to shoot today; one with the girls, and one with Holly. Ian had a scene today as well, but they didn't have one together. She went straight to hair and makeup to prepare for her first scene. After she was finished in hair and makeup she went to her dressing room and changed quickly, then made her way to the stage they were shooting on. Shay locked eyes with Lucy and gave her a huge smile. Lucy knew exactly why.

"So? Tell me everything!" Shay said quietly to Lucy.

"Can I tell you later? Maybe when there aren't so many people around?" Lucy said cautiously.

"Well tell me this at least; did you guys...ya know?" Shay asked wiggling her eyebrows at Lucy.

Lucy nodded hesitantly. Shay gave her a big hug and laughed. Lucy never would have guessed that Shay would be so excited. They walked over to their chairs, joining Ashley and Troian. "What was all that about?" Troian asked.

Lucy's eyes widened as Shay answered the question. "Oh, it was nothing. Just a joke from Friday night. It's stupid and we were drunk" she said trying to sound convincing.

"Sounds like I should have been there" Troian said smiling.

After the girls finished their scene, Lucy and Shay went to her dressing room. She filled her in on the evening she and Ian had together.

"Luce, I am so happy for you guys! It's about damn time!" Shay said enthusiastically.

"Well, we have a problem. I think we are going to have to lay low for a while. If Chris finds out, he will ruin me. He is really impulsive and runs his mouth and I really don't want him to say anything that could get anyone in trouble or hurt. So can you just keep this between us? I gotta talk to Ian still today. He won't be on set for a little bit though" Lucy said.

"Sure, Luce. But I am still happy for you guys, even if you are going to keep it under wraps. I won't say a word though."

"Thank you so much. I think I am going to take a little nap though, until Ian gets here at least. Can you come let me know when my scene is up with Holly?" Lucy asked.

"Of course. I'll see you in a bit" Shay said. She shut the door quietly behind her.

Lucy took her boots off and sprawled out on the couch in her dressing room. She slowly drifted off to sleep, only to be woken up by a light knocking on her door. She sat up quickly and adjusted her clothes and hair. "Come in" she said sleepily.

Ian poked his head in and gave her a smile. "Hey, were you asleep?" he asked laughing.

"Yeah, I didn't sleep very well last night. I'm glad you're here though" she said.

Ian sat down next to her. "I thought I would come early so we could talk about...us" he said.

Lucy took Ian's hands in hers. She looked up into his blue eyes and sighed. "Ian, I have been thinking about this, and you, nonstop since I left your apartment. I haven't changed my feelings for you at all, but I really don't know if this is the best timing for us. I just know that if Chris finds out about us he will freak. I don't know if I can handle that right now. And honestly, I don't want to see you get hurt, and I am afraid that would happen if we continued this right now" she said. She could see something in Ian's eyes, but she wasn't sure what it was. "Please say something" she coaxed.

Ian cleared his throat. "If that is what you want Luce, I said I would understand. And I do, but I don't want you to worry about me. I just want you to be happy." He felt as if his heart had been ripped out. He didn't want to let Lucy see how he was truly feeling, though.

"Maybe we can make it work later down the road. But right now, I just think we would hurt more people than it's worth. And if we are going to have a relationship, I want it to be perfect. I don't want to date you in the middle of a mess" she said.

Ian looked down. He couldn't cry in front of Lucy, as much as he wanted to. He really thought things were going to work out this time. "Well, can I ask you one thing?" he asked.

"What is it?" Lucy asked.

"Can I kiss you, for real, one last time?" Ian asked his voice threatening to crack.

Lucy moved in and places a gentle kiss on his lips. She pulled away slowly and looked Ian in the eyes. She could see the sadness in them and it brought tears to her own. Ian leaned in and kissed Lucy gently, but she replied with much more force. He returned the kiss with the same passion Lucy did. Suddenly the one gentle kiss turned to many forceful and longing kisses. After several minutes Lucy broke the kiss to catch her breath and whispered to Ian. "I am so sorry".

"Lucy, please don't say you're sorry" Ian said wiping the stay tears from her cheeks.

He leaned in again and they began to kiss with as much passion as before. Lucy moved her mouth to Ian's neck and began sucking as she unbuttoned his shirt. Ian pulled Lucy's shirt over her head revealing the lace tank top that was part of Aria's attire. They began kissing hard again and Lucy pulled Ian closer as they laid down on the couch. Ian brought his hands to Lucy's chest as she ran one hand through his curls and the other was against his chest. They were just about to take it to the next level when they heard a knock and a head peeked through the door. Ian jumped off of Lucy quickly and Lucy sat up adjusting what clothing she had on.

"Oh my God. Wow. I am so sorry." It was Holly. "I, um, wow. I was just coming to let you know that we are shooting our scene in 15, Goose. I'm so sorry" she said shocked.

Lucy was so embarrassed. "Holl, it's not what it looks like" she offered.

"Yeah, um, we were practicing one of our scenes" Ian added.

Lucy gave Ian a look and mouthed 'are you kidding me?' He shrugged as he buttoned his shirt. He tossed Lucy's shirt to her from the floor. She pulled it over her head and walked to the door where Holly was standing still awestruck.

"Well, I can say I _know_ you weren't practicing scenes because Ezra and Aria don't have any makeout scenes coming up...and nothing that racy" she said trying to stifle a laugh. "But, yeah, um, Goose, we're on stage 6 in fifteen minutes" she said as she walked back down the hall.

"Shit" Lucy said running her hands through her hair.

"Luce, I am so sorry. I didn't think anyone would come in or I would have locked the door. But then again I wasn't really expecting-"

"See, this is why we have to stop. We can't. I love you Ian, but this is going to get us in trouble. Seriously, what the hell am I supposed to say to Holly now? She has been saying stuff for 3 years and we denied it so many times, and then she walks in on us?!" Lucy said panicking.

"Hey, it's okay. I mean, we were only kissing, it could have been worse. It's Holly she doesn't care" Ian said trying to buffer the situation.

"Yeah, and if she would have come in 5 minutes later? She would have seen a lot more than just kissing, you know damn well she would have. And luckily it was Holly. Ian, this is just too much. We need to just forget about all of this. Let's just go back to how things were" Lucy said starting to cry again. She let out a small sob as she sat down on the couch pulling her legs to her chest.

Ian was stunned. How could he just forget everything that happened? He cleared his throat before speaking. "Luce, I'm sorry. I didn't intend for this to happen" he began to run his hand through his hair. "Damn it. I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say".

"Maybe you should go..." Lucy said crying.

"I can't leave you crying-"

"Please, Ian. I'll be fine. I just need to be alone for a little bit."

Ian cleared his throat again trying to fight the tears. "Yeah. Okay...well let me know if you need me..." he added. He looked at Lucy hoping she would ask him to stay, but when she didn't he sighed in defeat and made his way out the door.

Once Ian left Lucy let out a hard sob. She may have messed up the best thing in her life, in only a matter of 5 minutes.

**Ok, so I don't know about you guys, but it definitely made me sad to write this chapter. But don't worry too much :) I'll try to update again tomorrow, but reviews are always appreciated!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

After several minutes, Lucy finally contained herself enough to go to set. She wiped away the tear stains from her cheeks and walked out the door to meet Holly. When she got to the stage they were shooting from, Lucy noticed Holly wasn't there. She sat in her designated chair and pulled out her phone. She needed something to distract her mind, so she opened up her Twitter app and looked through her mentions. Her fans were extremely dedicated and she found herself smiling at the many tweets of love. Her smile faded fast as she read a tweet telling her that she should date Ian because they had so much chemistry. She knew it was true, her fans weren't blind or stupid, but after what just happened she really didn't want to read about Ian. As she continued reading, Holly came walking to her seat carrying two coffees.

"Hey, I got you your regular" Holly said handing Lucy one of the coffees.

"Awe, thanks Holl. I definitely need it" Aria said feigning a smile.

"Goose, what is going on? You look upset. If it is about earlier, please don't let it bother you. I was more embarrassed than you were I'm sure" Holly said offering Lucy a genuine smile.

"Mama Bear, I love you. And I know I said it wasn't what it looked like...but, I don't know. I don't know what it was. I'm going through a lot right now, Chris and I are broken up and Ian has been helping me through everything. I guess I'm just being vulnerable and stupid and you just so happened to see it" Lucy said embarrassed.

"Honey, don't worry about it. I don't know what you are thinking right now, but I know you and Ian really do care about each other. You have an amazing friendship and chemistry most real couples don't even have, and I am sure you are confused. Breakups suck, they make you do stupid things and make you feel crazy. But I love you, Goose, and I know that I tease you and Rookie all the time about dating, and if you are that is great! I approve 100%. If you aren't that's okay too. What you do in your private time is up to you" Holly said sympathetically. She squeezed Lucy's hand reassuringly.

"Thanks Holl" Lucy said hugging her. "You are the best. I don't know what I am going to do. I think I messed things up royally. I guess time will tell."

"Don't stress it, Goose. Are you going to be okay to shoot? I'll see if we can rearrange some scenes if you need it..."

"No, no. I'll be fine. I need to just keep myself busy" Lucy said.

Lucy shot her scene with Holly and was done within two hours. She gave Holly a hug and thanked her before leaving for home. As Lucy got into her car she checked her phone. She had a new text message. Her eyes went wide when she found it to be from Chris.

"Hey. Hope you are doing well. I have a question to ask you. Can you call me when you get this?"

Suddenly, Lucy was furious. She threw her phone into her passenger seat and made her way back to her apartment. As she entered, Annie could tell something was wrong.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Nothing" Lucy sighed. "I've had a shitty day. Chris texted me and wants me to call him so he can ask me a question. I don't know what he doesn't understand about giving me some time. It has been a little over a week, I have no desire to talk to him right now" she said furiously.

"Luce, I love you and I am so sorry you are going through all of this. But maybe you should at least text him back to see what it is that he wants. At least then he will stop bothering you" Annie offered.

"I just want nothing to do with him right now. I want nothing to do with guys in general at the moment actually."

"Just text him. Don't call" Annie said.

Lucy pulled her phone from her pocket and went to the text from Chris. She simply replied 'what'. She looked to Annie and rolled her eyes. "Are you happy?" she asked exasperated.

Before Annie could respond Chris responded to Lucy's text.

"Call me please. It will be easier to explain."

Lucy grumbled and turned her phone around for Annie to see. She got up from her seat and walked reluctantly to her bedroom. Hopping up on her bed, she scrolled down to Chris's number and pressed call. It only rang once.

"Hey, thanks for calling me" Chris said all too friendly.

"Chris, what don't you get about me wanting some space? It's been just over a week. I was hoping for at least a few weeks" Lucy snapped.

"Whoa, just let me talk and then I'll leave you alone" Chris said. "Look I talked Jon, my agent, after everything last week and he really thinks we should keep this under wraps. He thinks it will be better for both of us-"

"Why the hell would he care? Chris, you outed us last week, and sorry, I have no desire to be around you at the moment. You hurt me. Bad" Lucy said hurtfully.

"Look, we don't have to go out in public and all that together, can we just not say anything about it at all? Please? That is all I am asking" Chris pleaded.

"Why, though? Why is it so important to pretend we are still together?" Lucy asked confused.

"Forget it, Lucy. God, I didn't think it would be such a big deal" Chris said angrily.

"Chris, I'm not going to say anything about the breakup because, frankly, it is nobody's business but ours."

"Alright. Well that was my question. I guess I will let you go..." Chris said hesitantly.

Lucy sighed. "Okay, bye."

She dropped the phone from her ear and furrowed her brow. What was that about, she thought to herself. She got off her bed and went back to the living room where Annie was sitting. "So? What did he want?" Annie asked curiously.

"I really don't know. He asked me not to tell everyone about our breakup, but he didn't really give a reason. He said he talked to his agent and that was his suggestion. I don't get it, but I don't really plan on telling everyone about it because it really is nobody else's business" she answered.

"Why would his agent care?" Annie asked puzzled. "That makes no sense."

"Yeah, I have no clue, I'm just going to try to put all this shit behind me. I just want to go back to before we dated. Is it bad that I am really starting to regret dating him?" Lucy said. She started to play with the hem of her shirt nervously.

"Try not to regret it, Luce. He was good to you before, he just let his jealously get the best of him. I guess in a way, it's sort of romantic. And if you guys never get back together, at least it is a good learning experience" Annie offered.

"It isn't romantic at all. It's creepy. I realize it now, and this is a pretty shitty learning experience because I feel like I lost a lot from it..."

"What are you referring to? Ian?" Annie asked knowingly.

Lucy pulled her knees to her chest and took a deep breath. "I know it sounds crazy, but yeah. Not just him though, everyone I work with. I kind of just retracted from them all to keep away from Ian and I regret it. I wish I would have known it was going to end this way".

"Aw Luce, it'll all work out. I promise" Annie said consoling her friend with a hug.

"I don't know. I need to just keep busy and stop thinking about all of this" Lucy said. "Do you wanna do something tonight?"

"I'd love to but Drew and I have plans tonight...you are more than welcome to join us though" Annie said.

"Eh, that's alright. I don't want to intrude. I'll figure something out" Lucy said giving a slight smile.

After convincing Annie that she would find something to do for the night, Lucy went to her room. She picked up her phone and scrolled through the names looking to find someone to hang out with for the night. At this point she didn't particularly care who, she just didn't want to be alone. After looking through many different names, one caught her eye. "Nash" she said to herself.

Lucy and Nash Overstreet met through mutual friends and they ran into each other the week before. They hadn't talked in a while, but being that they did see each other recently, it wouldn't be too awkward to ask to hang out. Would it? Lucy contemplated texting him and then finally decided she would since it was better than sitting alone and thinking about her current situation.

"Hey Nash. It's Lucy. Just thought I'd see what you were up to since we didn't really get a chance to talk last week!" She looked over the text multiple times then pressed send. She turned on the TV in her room and tried to focus on the screen while she waited. Suddenly her phone started to vibrate. She picked it up to find a new text. It was from Nash. "Hey! Good to hear from you. Wanna meet up for some drinks tonight?"

Lucy smiled. She felt so relieved to know she wouldn't have to spend her night alone. She figured out the details of her night and went to her closet to find something to wear. She was going to meet him at 7 and it was already 5:30. Looking her closet up and down, she settled on jeans and a white button down blouse with her leather jacket. She left her closet and pulled her boots on over her jeans and walked back to the living room.

"Where are you going?" Annie asked smiling.

"You know how we ran into Nash last week?" she asked. "Well he and I are going to get some drinks tonight."

"Ahhh I see. Well have funnn" Annie said winking.

"Oh my God Banan, we are friends. This isn't a date. It is two friends going to get drinks. Believe me, I don't need any more guy drama" Lucy giggled.

She cuddled with Jack for a few minutes and gave him a kiss on the top of the head before putting him down.

"I'll be home later, no need to wait up" Lucy said. With that, she walked out the door.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

A few hours after going out for drinks with Nash, Lucy returned home. She only allowed herself to have a couple since she had to work in the afternoon. As she walked through the door, she dropped her purse on the table and made her way to her room. She removed her makeup and changed into her pajamas and went straight to sleep.

"_Lucy, please. Let me talk. I love you, okay? And if you leave me this time I really don't think I can deal with this again. Can't we just be happy? Together? When it is just us two we have such a good time. I have never been happier. But we let everyone else dictate our happiness and I don't want to do that anymore. I want you" Ian pleaded._

"_God, Ian. I want you too, but it is so complicated. All of this is. Nobody has ever made me feel like you do. But what if Chris ruins everything I have because of it? He will, I know him. He will make me out to be a cheater and a liar. I pride myself on being a role model for others and how can I do that if people lose all respect for me? I just don't know if I can take that risk. I-"_

"_Look Luce, Chris cannot ruin what we have. We have something special, and you know it. Can't that be enough right now? And any of your true fans will know you are not a cheater or a liar. I'm sure they can see what Chris is like. Can we just do this? Please?" Ian continued to beg._

_Lucy launched herself into Ian's arms as her lips met his harshly. She needed him as if he was the air she needed to breathe. He made her feel whole. Ian grabbed Lucy's waist and pulled her even closer, lying them both down onto the couch. He yanked her shirt over her head and started to kiss along her collarbone. Lucy shivered and pulled at his shirt. He removed it quickly and grabbed her face in his hands. "I love you so much, Lucy". She brought her hand to his cheek. "I love you, Ian. And I don't care what anyone thinks. I want you and only you." _

_Ian smiled and kissed her gently. He pulled away and looked her into the eyes. They went back to kissing as he eased her jeans off of her body. His hands started to roam over her body intimately which caused Lucy to moan. Suddenly they stopped kissing. They heard an all too familiar sound. Ian jumped off Lucy and tossed a blanket to her so she could cover herself._

When Lucy realized that it was actually her alarm going off and not someone walking in on her and Ian she groaned loudly. She sat up and ran her hands through her hair. Why the hell was she having these kinds of dreams? She was trying to forget Ian but her dreams were making her want him more than ever. Lucy hopped out of bed and showered. As she got dressed she felt a wave of relief when she remembered Ian wasn't going to be on set for a few days. She really wouldn't be able to handle being around him after having another dream like that.

As she opened her door and made her way to the kitchen, Jack ran to her feet, most likely hungry.

"Are you hungry, Jacky Boy?" Lucy said in her baby voice. She fed her little dog and went to the fridge to find something to eat herself. After standing there longer than necessary she decided on a bagel and cream cheese. She popped the bagel into the toaster and spread the cream cheese over it and went to the table. As she picked at the bagel in front of her, Lucy couldn't help but think about the latest dream she had. After several minutes she was taken out of her trance by Jack. She looked at her phone and realized that she had 5 minutes before she needed to leave. Jumping out of her chair she ran to her room and finished getting around before leaving for set.

When Lucy arrived on set, Shay was walking towards her. "Luce! You're here finally!" she had a look of concern on her face. "Do you have a few minutes?" Shay asked as she got closer.

"Um, yeah sure. What's up?" Lucy said nonchalantly as they entered her dressing room.

"I talked to Ian last night. I thought you guys were sort of together?" Shay asked confused. "It's just, when I talked to Ian, he acted upset and said he didn't really want to talk about it."

"Shay, honestly I have no idea what is going on. I really care about Ian, I do, but just with everything going on with Chris, I don't think I can be in another relationship right now" Lucy said sadly. "But I don't know what to do. I feel like if I'm not with him I am hurting him, but if I'm with him everyone else gets hurt. I just can't deal with the stress right now."

"Luce," Shay said grabbing Lucy's hand, "whatever you decide, is the best thing for you. But I do have to tell you, Ian seemed really hurt. I don't know if you knew that because he is pretty good at hiding his feelings sometimes. But I just want to see you both happy. I hate seeing you like this too."

Lucy leaned in and hugged Shay, tears welling in her eyes. "Thanks, Shay. I want to feel like myself again, but I think it is going to just take some time. Ian and I are not really talking at the moment..." she sighed then began talking again. "Holly caught us the other day. I guess I just freaked out because I didn't want anyone to know. I kicked him out of my dressing room and I haven't talked to him since. I feel like shit about it. I just don't know what to do."

Shay put her arm around Lucy. "I'm sure he understands, Luce. I'll talk to him. He loves you, he will get over it. I just want the normal Lucy back. We all do."

"Thanks, girl. I love you. And I promise I'll try to cheer up. I'm just dealing with a lot right now."

"I know. But just know, we all love you so much. And if you need anything, I mean anything at all, tell us! We are here for you." Shay leaned over and wiped away the few tears on Lucy's face. "Okay, please don't cry or I will!"

Lucy smiled and gained her composer and the girls walked to hair and makeup together.

After Lucy was done in hair and makeup she changed into her Aria attire and went to the stage they were shooting on. As she got closer to the stage, she noticed Troian was ready and waiting to shoot as well. Troian looked up as Lucy came closer and smiled. "Hey Goose! How are you?" Troian asked happily.

"Hey Troy, I'm doing alright. Have you been waiting long?" Lucy asked as she sat.

"Nah, I've been waiting like 5 minutes. Are you sure you're okay though? I don't know if I am the only one to say anything, but we are all concerned about you. You just haven't been yourself lately. You can reach out to us, you know. We hate seeing you like this" Troian said concern laced in her words.

"I know" Lucy said looking down. She began pulling on the sleeve of her sweater. "I know I haven't been myself, it's just...I have been going through a lot lately".

"What is going on though? I know you and Chris were on the rocks, but is that all? You are never this down, Luce, and you have been for like 2 weeks straight."

"Well Chris and I are over. We were having a lot of problems. He was super controlling and jealous and I just couldn't take it anymore. I guess I'm just trying to get over it. I don't really know why it's bothering me so much though" Lucy said. She didn't want to bring Ian into it, even though that was the majority of her problem.

"Aw Luce" Troian said as she went in for a hug. "Guys are idiots sometimes, but don't let them get to you. You are way too good for someone like that anyway. I just want you to be the crazy, bubbly Lucy we all know!"

As Troian sat back in her seat Ashley and Shay made their way to the stage. "Did I miss something?" Ashley asked confused.

"No, I was just giving Goose a pep talk" Troian said smiling.

Lucy smiled back. A few seconds later Norman came over and explained that they were ready to shoot. The girls got through their scenes rather quickly but Lucy wasn't exactly thrilled to go home. She wanted to continue to stay busy as often as possible. She went to her dressing room and changed into her regular clothes as she looked through her phone. She had two new texts. One was from Nash and the other was from Chris. Lucy groaned and rolled her eyes when she read Chris's name. She read Nash's text first.

"Hey, Josh and I are gonna get our tats touched up tonight. Wanna come?"

Lucy laughed a little at the fact that he was inviting her to watch them get tattoos. She didn't respond right away, she figured she would catch up with Annie first. After a few minutes she went to Chris's text.

"Hi, just wondering if you would be willing to meet up sometime soon? I really miss you Luce."

Lucy tossed her phone onto the couch and decided she wasn't going to answer him right away either. After a few minutes she gathered her belongings and got ready to leave for home. As she left her dressing room, obviously flustered, Ashley ran into her. "Are you leaving, Luce?" she asked.

"Yeah" she said simply, trying to mask her feelings. "See ya tomorrow, Ash!" she said as she walked out the door.

Ashley furrowed her brow as she watched Lucy leave. She knew something was wrong but she didn't really know what. As she was standing there, Shay came up to her. "Ash, what are you doing?" she asked laughing a little.

"Do you know what is going on with Lucy? She seemed pretty upset when she left" Ashley asked concerned.

"Eh, she's having some guy issues at the moment. I talked to her, I think she will be okay. She is just having a rough time" Shay explained.

Troian walked up to the girls as Shay was explaining Lucy's situation. "Am I missing anything good?" she asked with a smile. She realized then that she walked into a serious conversation.

"I know she broke it off with Chris, but they never really seemed _that _serious about each other. She dated Alex way longer and wasn't this upset" Ashley said suspiciously.

"Look, you both have to promise me you will not say a word. And I mean it" Shay said seriously.

Troian and Ashley looked at each other puzzled and nodded.

"Lucy broke it off with Chris because he was jealous of her relationship with Ian. Well, when we went to Ian's for dinner last weekend she basically told me she did really love Ian and she was confused as to what to do. Well, Holly walked in on them yesterday. I guess they were just making out, but still, Luce was really embarrassed and basically told Ian to stay away from her because she doesn't want to have these feelings" Shay explained. "But seriously, you guys cannot say anything to her. She is really embarrassed about the whole thing because she feels like it means she was cheating on Chris because she did have some feelings for Ian."

"Oh my God, I knew it!" Ashley exclaimed. "I knew they had something going on...I could just tell." She smiled to herself a little satisfied that she was right.

Troian glared at Ashley. "Ash, we all knew they had a thing for each other. Nobody around here is blind. And obviously Lucy is really hurting". She looked at Shay, "I really feel bad, I didn't realize that was what the breakup was over."

"Yeah. We just need to make sure she knows we're here for her. She might tell you guys when she is ready, but until then, please just don't say anything. Even to Ian!"

The girls promised again. They also promised to try to be extra supportive of Lucy. She was obviously depressed and heading into a downward spiral.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

When Lucy returned home, she went to her room and cuddled with Jack. She was so sick of feeling sad. Everyone was starting to question her and it just made things worse. As she lay on her bed crying, Jack kept licking her hands and face, comforting her. Lucy looked up at Jack and smiled at him slightly. Jack was one of the only things that could completely calm her down, other than Ian. She continued to lay on her bed and cuddle with her dog when she heard the front door close. "Luce?" Annie called.

"I'm in here" Lucy called back.

Annie walked into Lucy's room and gave her a look. "What the hell happened?" she asked concerned.

"Nothing. I'm fine. I'm just emotional I guess" Lucy responded trying to be convincing.

"Luce, seriously. I hate seeing you like this" Annie began.

"I know! Everyone does!" Lucy said, starting to get more upset. "I'm sorry. I hate feeling like this, too! But life fucking sucks right now, okay?"

"I didn't mean to upset you..." Annie said cautiously. "What can I do to help? I just want to help you be happy, Lucy. I know you are hurting, but that hurts me, and obviously other people. You have a lot of people who care about you..."

"I'm sorry, Banan. I didn't mean to snap at you. I just feel like everyone is saying that I need to act like myself but don't you think I want to? I want to feel happy. But right now Chris won't leave me alone, I have feelings for one of my best friends who my ex-boyfriend accused me of cheating with. And you know how I feel about cheating. I just don't know what to do to make myself happy without hurting a lot of people in the process" Lucy cried. She frantically began to wipe away the tears from her face.

Annie sat next to Lucy on the bed. She reached up to help her wipe away the tears. "I know. But I promise you it will get better. I have to go into work tonight, but tomorrow, we should go out. I think you need that."

"So you won't be here tonight?" Lucy asked looking up at her friend.

"I won't be home until late. Maybe 11, or even midnight. I'm sorry, Luce. I'd stay here with you if I could" Annie replied sympathetically.

"Okay. Well Nash asked me to go with him and Josh to get tattoos so I guess I'll do that. Oh and Chris just so happened to text me too..." Lucy said unenthusiastically.

"First of all, why would you go with them to get tattoos unless you plan on getting one? And what did Chris want?"

"He wanted to know if I could meet up with him sometime soon. I didn't answer because I was just so pissed when I read it."

"Well, you can do whatever you want, but I did talk to him a little bit yesterday. I really think he misses you, Luce. He couldn't stop talking about you. I don't know, but I think he knows just how bad he messed up and he is kicking himself for it" Annie said.

Lucy could feel herself clenching her jaw. She was fed up with everything lately, and her best friend still talking to her ex-boyfriend didn't make her feel any better.

"Luce, I don't want you to be mad at me for talking to him still, but I am telling you, as a friend, that you should give him a chance to explain things. He has had some time to think things over and I believe he really regrets how he acted. You guys should just meet for coffee or something. I think it would help you a lot" Annie added.

"I don't know, Ann. Don't you think I have given him plenty of chances to turn things around? He's still Chris. He is never going to be a laid back and easy going guy. It isn't gonna happen. I think we should both just cut our losses and move on."

"Just think about it, okay? I really do believe it will help you figure things out" Annie pleaded.

"I'll think about it" Lucy said simply.

An hour later Annie left for work and Lucy texted Nash to let him know she would meet up with him and his friend. She changed into a lacy black bandeau bra with a skull tank over it and slipped on a black and white patterned skirt. The plan was for Lucy to meet the guys at the tattoo shop, and then they would all go for drinks afterwards. She kissed Jack as she headed for the door.

While out with Nash and Josh, Lucy felt her phone vibrate through her purse. Pulling it out, she realized it was another text from Chris. She felt her face become red with anger and opened the message. "Hi, I haven't heard from you. I don't know if you got my text earlier, but Luce, I really miss you and it would mean a lot to me if we could meet up and talk. Please".

Lucy gave in and responded to the text. "Meet me at Starbucks across from WB at 12:30 tomorrow afternoon. I work at 2."

She placed her phone back into her purse and tried to act as if she wasn't annoyed. The rest of the night was uneventful, but Lucy was glad to be out and not stuck at home. If she were sitting at home she would be seething over the fact that she gave into Chris. The problem was, although she was out, she couldn't hide her irritation very well.

Eventually, after a few more hours, Lucy made it home. She went straight to her room, changed into her pajamas and hopped into bed. Throughout the night, Lucy tossed and turned thinking about meeting up with Chris.

The next morning Lucy woke up exhausted. She hoped a hot shower would wake her up but it didn't do much for her. She got dressed and walked the short distance to the kitchen to make some coffee. Annie was sitting at the table eating some cereal.

"Hey sleepyhead. How was your night?" Annie asked with a smile.

"It went alright. I had fun with the guys but Chris asked me to meet for coffee today and I'm not really sure how I feel about it. I didn't sleep hardly at all last night" Lucy answered sleepily.

"Wait, you are going to meet up with him then? I'm glad you guys are going to talk again, I really think you need to!" Annie said excitedly.

"I don't know Banan", Lucy said sipping on her coffee,"part of me wants to, but the other part doesn't because I'm afraid it'll only make me more confused" Lucy said honestly.

"Don't worry about it. He misses you a lot, and he doesn't stop talking about you. I think you will have the upper hand the whole time" Annie said.

"I hope so. I just don't want to fight."

Lucy went back to her room and got herself ready for the day. Once she was around she left for Starbucks. The whole ride there, she couldn't stop thinking about how things would go. Would Chris yell at her and call her more names? Or would he beg her to get back with him? She wanted neither of the two options and was really hoping he would just talk and be friendly.

She pulled into the parking lot and entered the building. Walking up to the counter to order, she saw Chris sitting at a table in the back. Lucy smiled slightly at him and placed her order. She picked up her coffee and walked to the table where Chris sat.

"Hi" she said nervously.

"Hey, Luce. Thanks so much for meeting me" Chris said hugging her.

"Well it was convenient for me since it's right next to work" she said matter-of-factly.

"Right. Well I have just missed you a lot the past couple of weeks I guess. I'll be honest, I didn't think it would hurt this bad to not be able to talk to you" he said looking at her.

Lucy looked down and took a long gulp of her coffee. "I'm sorry Chris. I just needed time to think everything through. I still don't have it all figured out."

"That's alright. I don't expect you to. I just feel bad because I was an ass to you. I'm hoping we can get back to where we were eventually" he said hopefully. He grabbed Lucy's hand and rubbed the back of it gently.

Lucy felt uncomfortable by his gesture. She pulled her hand away slowly. "Chris, I would love to get back there too, but I don't know if I could ever trust you again..."

"Lucy, please listen. I am so sorry. I still love you. I always will. You can do whatever you want to do, but I will love you nonetheless. Do you think we can at least talk again? It is killing me to not be able to even do that."

"We'll see" Lucy said. "I just need time still Chris. I do love you, but I don't know if I can be _in_ love with someone who has no problem saying the things you said. I will try to at least work on our friendship but I can't make any promises."

Chris stood up and enveloped Lucy into a hug. She hugged back awkwardly. She took her phone out of her purse and found it to be 1:45. "Sorry Chris, I really have to get to work."

"Already. Damn the time flies when you're having fun" he said smirking at her. "Thanks again Luce. It means so much."

Hugging him one last time, Lucy left and drove over to the WB lot. She thought about her conversation with Chris and felt even more confused than she was before. She sincerely wanted a friendship with Chris, but she knew that there was no trust at all. She also knew that it would be short lived before Chris wanted more.

Still distracted by her thoughts, Lucy walked into the building. As she was on her way to the table read Ashley came up to her smiling. "Hey Luce! How are you today?" she asked, more happily than usual.

"I'm fine. How are you?" Lucy asked slightly confused as to why Ashley was so happy.

"I'm great. I've missed you though! I swear we never get a chance to really talk anymore!" Ashley said giving Lucy a hug.

Lucy hugged her back and nodded. "Is something...going on?" Lucy asked slowly.

"What do you mean?" Ashley asked smiling.

"You are like overly happy today. Is there a reason, or...?" Lucy trailed off.

"No, I'm just happy to see you" Ashley said unconvincingly.

"Okay, well I'm happy to see you too, Ash. We should get to the table read though."

Lucy walked to the table read slowly. She now had two things to be confused over. Chris and Ashley. She and Ashley had always been close, but lately Lucy had been distant from everyone. She couldn't understand why Ashley was so overly happy and bubbly.

She sat in her designated chair and flipped through the script sitting in front of her. Ashley sat next to her and Sasha sat on the other side. Normally Ian would sit next to her, but being that he wasn't, it most likely meant he wasn't in this episode. Lucy felt a little disappointed to know he wouldn't be there.

Troian came in a few seconds later and walked behind Lucy draping her arms around her. "How is Goose today?" she asked cheerfully.

"I'm doing alright. You are awfully happy today too. What is going on with you and Ash?" Lucy asked.

"What? I can't be happy to see you? I've missed you is all!" Troian said feigning hurt.

Lucy shrugged. "I don't know, maybe it's me. I just think you both are extremely happy today. Like more than usual."

Troian laughed and sat in her chair as Marlene King and a few other writers and directors came into the room. They went through the script and Lucy highlighted all of her lines. She was right, Ian wasn't in this episode. After a few hours the table read was over and Lucy joined the other girls as everyone was getting ready to leave.

"I'm kind of surprised that they didn't have Ezra in this episode, being it is the first of 3B" Lucy said to her 3 friends nonchalantly.

"Yeah, I guess Marlene said he won't be in a few in the beginning. So, he is on the east coast visiting family and friends for the next couple weeks" Shay said.

"What? Really? So how many episodes will he be out of?" Lucy asked, trying not to seem too eager.

"I think he said three" Shay said.

Lucy nodded and pretended not to care. She did though. She missed Ian terribly and was hoping to be able to at least see him today. The fact that she wouldn't see him for a few weeks made her want to cry. She threw the thought in the back of her head and tried to keep up with the gossip the other girls were now discussing. After some time Lucy decided to head home. She left for her car leaving the other three girls in the room.

After she left Shay looked at the other two. "You both could not make it more obvious that I told you about everything!" she said scolding them slightly.

"What? I was just letting her know that I missed her and was trying to act happy to cheer her up!" Troian said defending herself.

"Yeah! I was hoping she would want to hang out so we could talk and maybe that would make her feel better, but she pretty much avoided that topic" Ashley added.

"Okay, I understand, but try not to be so obvious. We know Lucy and she is pretty intuitive. I'm going to talk to her again soon because she seemed a little upset about Ian being gone" Shay said.

"The poor girl is smitten" Troian said sadly. "She is definitely in love."

**So I hope the last few chapters didn't depress you all too much! Things will start to look up for them soon! Sorry I haven't updated quite as quickly lately, I've been busy with school and job interviews! Also, as always, reviews give me the ambition to write more. Thanks to those who have given me feedback so far :)**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Lucy threw her keys and purse onto the table as she walked through the door to her apartment. Annie was gone and Lucy was surprisingly thankful. As much as she loved Annie, sometimes she seemed to think more of her friendship with Chris over what was best for Lucy and lately it was getting on her nerves. She flopped down on the couch and turned on the TV as Jack hopped into her lap. As she cuddled with Jack, Lucy checked her phone to find a missed call from her mom. Suddenly Lucy realized just how much she missed her mom. It had been over two weeks since she talked to her last, which was not normal for them. Normally they talked at least a few times a week. Lucy clicked on her mom's name in her recent calls and waited for her mom to pick up.

"Hi baby!" Lucy's mom, Julie, said cheerfully.

"Hey momma. Sorry I missed your call" Lucy said back feigning happiness.

"Honey, you don't sound well. Are you okay?" her mom asked worried.

"I'm fine, I'm just stressed is all."

"Are you sure? What has my girl so stressed? Work?" Julie asked.

"Yeah, I have been pretty busy with work. And Chris and I aren't doing very well lately so that has me a little more stressed than usual" Lucy answered truthfully.

"What is going on, honey? Did he hurt you? I'm so sorry I haven't called sooner. I have been so busy these past few weeks. I wish I would have known you were upset..."

"Momma, it's okay, I promise. We are just having some problems. We fight a lot, he hasn't physically hurt me though, don't worry. I wish I could tell you what the problem is but to be honest, I am pretty confused myself. There are just some trust issues, I guess."

"Well I want you to be happy, sweetie, and if there is no trust in a relationship, it isn't going to work no matter how hard you try. I will let you make your own decisions, but I don't want to see my baby girl get hurt" her mom said protectively.

"I know, momma. I will talk to you about it more next week. Like I said, I really don't know what to say right now because I am confused myself."

"Well that is the main reason I called you, actually. I just wanted to check in with you about next weekend. What time is your flight due to arrive?" her mom asked.

Lucy was going to Memphis the next weekend to visit her family for her mom's birthday. She was also planning on recording in Nashville while she was there.

"I am supposed to land in Memphis at 1:20 pm. I will talk to you as it gets closer though" Lucy said.

"Okay honey. Remember, if you need to talk about anything, please call me! I don't like hearing that you are stressed. But I love you very, very much and I cannot wait to see your pretty face next weekend."

"I love you too, momma. And I will be alright. Don't worry about me. I'll talk to you later this week" Lucy said sweetly.

A few minutes later she hung up the phone. Talking to her mom always made her feel a little better. She felt as if a weight was lifted off her shoulders. She was still extremely stressed about her circumstances, but her upcoming vacation to see her family lifted her spirits dramatically.

Lucy went to the kitchen and began rummaging through the fridge looking for something to make for dinner. As she started to pull things out to make a salad, she heard her phone ringing on the table. Walking the short distance, she picked up her phone and found a text message from Shay. "Hey Goose, what are you up to tonight?"

Lucy furrowed her brow as she looked at her phone. It had been months since she and Shay had hung out alone together. She replied by saying 'I was just about to start dinner. Why, what's up?'

She waited only a few seconds when Shay's reply made it to her phone. "Would you want to go get a drink with me tonight? I'm home alone and looking for something to do and it has been forever since we have hung out just us two!"

Lucy pondered the thought for a minute. She would love to spend time with Shay but she was scared that she would be brought down by the thoughts of Ian. After thinking it over, she figured it would be harmless to go. She texted Shay back asking when and where and put all the salad ingredients back into the fridge.

She had less than an hour to get ready before she was supposed to meet Shay at the place they decided to meet up. They made a decision to meet up at a small Mexican place a few blocks from Shay's house. Lucy pulled her hair into a loose bun and slipped into a casual navy blue dress. She touched up her makeup and pulled on a pair of heels and made her way out the door.

When she entered the restaurant, Lucy found Shay sitting on a bench near the host stand. Shay stood and embraced Lucy and they were escorted to their table. The girls decided on margaritas and ordered chips and guacamole to start. They made small talk until their orders arrived. Once the server was gone Shay placed her hand on Lucy's. "So how are you, Luce?" she asked sensitively.

"I'm fine." Lucy said trying hard to be convincing.

"Are you really? I overheard what happened with Holly and I just want you to know that you can talk to me if you need to. I understand how hard it is to be crushing on a costar" she admitted.

"Look, I'll be okay. Ian and I are supposed to be just friends. That's all. It's hard right now because we gave into our feelings but I'll get over it. I just need a little bit of time..." Lucy said.

"But Luce, I don't know if Ian will get over it. I talked to him about everything and he understands where you are coming from, but he is hurting. He won't come right out and say it but I can tell he is. I think that is part of the reason he left for the east coast. He could have stayed here but then he would have to go out to make people believe everything was okay. I just know when I talk to him he hardly smiles anymore. And Luce, I am worried about you just as much. You guys are in love and you know it. Why don't you just stop fighting the feelings and go for it?"

Lucy's jaw dropped slightly. Was Ian really that upset? She knew he liked her back but if she could find a way to get over him, he could do the same, right?

"Wow, Shay I don't know what to say..." Lucy said still stunned by the news.

"I just really think you guys should try to date, I know you both want that more than anything. You both say you don't want to so you don't hurt anyone, but in the meantime you are only hurting yourselves. Just give it a chance" Shay said.

"I don't know Shay. I really don't. I love Ian, I do, it's just I don't know if dating him is the best thing for me right now. I have Chris who is still in the picture and that whole situation is just a mess-"

"But he hurt you Luce. Ian would never hurt you intentionally and you know that. Just think about it, okay?" Shay interrupted.

Lucy nodded and finished her drink. The girls asked for the tab and hugged before leaving the restaurant. As she closed the door to her car, Lucy began to cry. She felt as if she was never going to get over Ian, and maybe there was a reason.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: The next few chapters were really fun to write because you get to see Lucy interact with her family; especially her sister, Maggie. I don't know how Lucy's relationship is with her sister, but I kind of used my own relationship with my sister for inspiration! Sisters are the best :) Also a huge thank you to the reviews I have received. Many people have told me they tried to review but it wouldn't post for some reason. I'm sorry if it has happened to you, but thank you for trying! Hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

Chapter 20

The next week dragged on for Lucy. After going for drinks and talking with Shay about Ian, she felt like she couldn't think straight. She knew that Ian loved her, but she never really realized how much. The fact that he was hurting because of her made her feel sick. On top of that, Chris had been trying to talk to her more, which made everything more difficult. She was looking forward to going to Memphis even more now.

It was the night before she was supposed to leave. She needed to be at LAX by 10 am at the latest and she was still trying to decide what to pack. Lucy stood in her closet, with her hand on her hip, looking through her clothes. As she was contemplating what to bring, Annie came into her room.

"You're still not packed?" Annie asked smiling.

"I can't decide what all I want to bring!" Lucy took two dresses from her closet. "Which one do you think would be better for a nice dinner? The cream colored one or the navy one?"

"Just bring both. You know you want to" Annie said as she sat on Lucy's bed. "I was kind of surprised to see you awake still since you have to be there pretty early. It is already midnight."

"I know. I wanted to be in bed early too. I guess I'll just bring everything, it'll be faster" Lucy said giggling. She came out of her closet with 4 different dresses and stuffed them into her suitcase. "Okay, now I am really going to go to bed."

Lucy hugged Annie goodnight and got into bed. She set her alarm and tried to fall asleep. Sleep didn't come easily though, due to her thoughts of Ian, Chris and seeing her family. Eventually, she passed out from exhaustion.

Her alarm went off the next morning at 8 am. Although she was exhausted, Lucy jumped out of bed excitedly. She took a shower and got herself around quickly so that she could pack up her remaining things. As she was stuffing her makeup and hair products into her suitcase, Jack sat next to her and watched curiously. She zipped her bag and turned to Jack and picked him up.

"Aw Jacky, I'm going to miss you so much! But I promise Aunt Annie will take good care of you!" Lucy said scooping him up. "I'll be back in 3 days!"

She stood up and rolled her suitcase to the door and made her way to the kitchen to find something to eat. She decided on a banana and some yogurt. After eating, she slipped on some shoes, kissed Jack goodbye and left for the airport.

Lucy arrived to the airport with plenty of time to spare. She went to Starbucks and ordered an iced coffee while she waited for her plane to board. After she bought the much needed coffee she called her mom to let her know that the flight was on time. Within a half an hour the plane began to board.

Lucy boarded the plane and found her seat. She put her carry-on in the overhead compartment and sat down. She unzipped her purse and removed her phone, and a notepad and pen. After, she placed her purse under her seat and made herself comfortable.

The plane took off and when she was able, she used the plane's wifi to check her Twitter. It had been a while since she responded to fans so she took the opportunity to do so. While she was going through her mentions, she found one from Chris. They had decided to try to work on their friendship, so she figured she would tweet him back. He simply tweeted to have fun and to tell everyone hello, so in reply she said she would and to 'hold down the fort'. She answered a few more fan questions and then closed down her Twitter app.

Lucy pulled out her notepad and pen and then unlatched the table from the seat in front of her. She placed her paper down on the table and started to write. She was going to be writing and recording some songs with Kristian Bush from Sugarland while she was in Tennessee and she figured she would try to get a head start on some writing. Lucy continued to write until the flight attendant told everyone to put their trays up and to turn off their cell phones, as they were about to land. Within about 10 minutes Lucy arrived in Memphis.

Lucy's heart began to pound in excitement as she looked out the window to see the very familiar Tennessee landscape. She smiled to herself knowing that within a matter of minutes she would be reunited with her family. The flight attendant came over the intercom again signaling passengers that they were allowed to exit the aircraft.

Lucy stood up and retrieved her carry-on from the overhead compartment and slung her purse over her shoulder. She was in the very front of the plane, so it didn't take long for her to exit the terminal into the airport. She walked the long stretch to where her mom and sister were planning on meeting her. As Lucy stepped onto the escalator and made her way down to the bottom floor, she was greeted by her family. Her sister Maggie came running up to her, wrapping her arms tightly around her little sister.

"Oh my God, Luce! I have missed you so much!" Maggie cried.

"I've missed you too, Mags! How have you been? How is the married life?" Lucy said wiggling her eyebrows.

"It's great. I think it is even better than I thought it would be" Maggie said smiling.

As Lucy listened to her sister talk she greeted her mom with a hug and a kiss.

"We are so glad you are back home, sweetie" her mom said. "Too bad you weren't back for good."

"Yeah, I hate that you are only here for 3 days. We have so much to catch up on and so little time!" Maggie exclaimed.

Lucy nodded and linked arms with her sister. "I know, Mags. I am definitely in need of your sisterly advice right now."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Once they made their way home, Lucy settled her things into her old room. It looked exactly the way it did the last time she saw it. She smiled at the thought of being home. Maggie walked in a few minutes later. "So, are you ready for dinner tonight with daddy?" she asked smiling.

"I am! I have missed him so much. Do you know what you are wearing yet?" Lucy asked.

"I haven't even thought about it. I have been thinking about you arriving more than anything else!"

"Aw, thank you Mags. I have been anxious to get home too. I don't know why I care, I just want to make a good impression being that I haven't seen anyone in a while, you know?" Lucy said biting her lip.

"Luce, it's only going to be family. You don't have to impress anyone! But I'll help you decide if it will make you feel better" Maggie said putting an arm around her sister.

Lucy smiled and hugged her sister. "Thanks Maggie."

She kneeled down and unzipped her suitcase and pulled out two different outfits she was contemplating wearing. She had a patterned romper and a navy blue dress. Laying the dresses out on the bed she turned to Maggie. "Which one do you think?"

"I love them both, but I think the romper would be more comfortable" Maggie said.

A huge smile drew across Lucy's face and she threw her arms around her sister. "I seriously don't know what I would do without you!" she said lovingly.

After deciding Lucy's outfit for dinner that night, the girls went out to the kitchen and chatted with their mom. All 3 women drank a glass of wine and talked about everything under the sun. Except for Lucy's current guy situation. Lucy wanted to talk to both about it, but at the right time. An hour passed and the girls decided they should get ready for dinner with their dad. Maggie went back to her house to shower and get ready and was planning on coming back to pick Lucy up.

Lucy went into her room and pulled her curling iron and makeup out of her suitcase. She sat at the cushioned stool beside the vanity and plugged in the curling iron. As the curling iron was heating up she applied her makeup.

It had been over 6 months since she saw her father last and even longer since she saw any of the other family from that side of the family. Needless to say she was ecstatic and nervous.

After her makeup was done, Lucy curled her hair and slipped into the romper she and Maggie decided would look best. She took a belt from her suitcase and wrapped it around her waist. Before long she was ready to leave for the restaurant. As she was stepping out of her room, Maggie appeared through the front door, looking beautiful as always.

"Mags, you look stunning!" Lucy said.

"Like you should talk!" she replied smiling. "Are you ready to go? Lewis is waiting in the car."

Lewis was Lucy's new brother in law. He and Maggie were married in May. As the girls entered the car Lucy smiled and waved at Lewis in the front seat.

"Hey Lucy! How've you been" Lewis said cheerfully as Lucy closed the door.

"I have been extremely busy, but doing well. How are you? Is Mags driving you insane yet?" Lucy said laughing as she teased Maggie.

"Oh you bet she is!" Lewis teased as Maggie stuck her tongue out at him. He grabbed her hand and kissed it. "I'm just kidding. This has been the best 3 months of my life. Marriage is a beautiful thing" he said smiling at his wife.

Lucy smiled, but a part of her was a little jealous. She was so incredibly happy for her sister, but she felt sad that she didn't have what Maggie had. Although she loved her job more than anything, she sometimes wondered what could have happened if she chose the path her sister did. If she would have went to college and stayed home, would she have found someone who made her as happy as Lewis made Maggie?

She shoved her thoughts aside and tried to act as if nothing was bothering her. Soon, they arrived at the restaurant. They got out of the car and walked in. Once they were inside the building, Lewis gave the host their name and they were escorted to a long table towards the back of the restaurant.

Lucy followed Lewis and Maggie. As she got closer to their table she made eye contact with her dad and instantly ran up to him to give him a hug.

"My baby girl" Lucy's dad, John, said into her hair.

"I missed you so much daddy!" she exclaimed.

After a few seconds, John held his daughter out at arms length to get a better look at her. "Have you grown Luce Goose?" he asked.

"I don't think I have grown since I was 13, dad" Lucy said laughing.

"Must be I am just seeing things, I guess. It has been so long since I have seen my little girl. I can't tell you how happy I am to see you, honey" her dad said lovingly.

Lucy smiled. She forgot just how happy being home truly made her. Once her dad moved to greet Maggie and Lewis, Lucy went around the table hugging other family members. After some time, everyone sat down and began ordering food.

The dinner went extremely well and Lucy was able to see people in her family she hadn't seen in a long time. Everyone asked how LA was treating her and how her music career was shaping up. She was excited to tell them about her upcoming album and explained that she was working with Kristian Bush. It was relieving that they didn't ask her about her love life, which she was half expecting. Usually an uncle or an aunt would ask her why she didn't have a handsome man on her arm. Normally she would laugh it off, but today if it would have come up, she may have taken it differently. Thankfully she didn't have to worry.

The family talked for a while after dinner until finally Maggie insisted they head home. Lucy and her sister said their goodbyes and made their way to the car. The girls planned on having a sleepover so they could have some sisterly bonding time. Lewis drove the car to his and Maggie's apartment. Once he parked, Maggie kissed Lewis goodbye and got into the driver's seat. Lucy took her place in the passenger seat. The whole way home the girls laughed about the dinner and sang 90's boy band songs.

About 15 minutes later the girls pulled into the driveway at their mom's house. Lucy was the first to open the door to the house and was greeted by the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. As she turned the corner, into the kitchen, she found her mother pulling the last batch from the oven.

"Momma, these smell amazing! But it was your birthday, we should be baking for you!" Lucy said smiling. She placed a kiss on her mom's cheek.

"Well I had to make up something special since my baby is home!" Julie replied happily.

Maggie also greeted her mom with a kiss and went down the hall to place her overnight bag into her old bedroom. The girls each took a cookie and went into the living room and decided to watch a movie together. They decided on _The Bachelorette. _As the movie was starting Lucy checked her Twitter app and found many mentions yet again. She responded to a few and closed the app.

About 10 minutes into the movie, Julie joined the girls in the living room carrying a plate of cookies. She placed the plate on the coffee table. Lucy and Maggie were huddled together on the couch wrapped in a blanket as Julie took her place on the other side of Lucy. All three women spent the next two hours laughing at the movie and sharing stories that were long overdue.

Once the movie ended, Julie was exhausted and excused herself to bed. Maggie took the DVD from the DVD player and placed it back into its case. The girls went to their rooms and changed into their pajamas and decided to sleep in Maggie's old queen sized bed together, just as they did when they were kids.

Maggie hopped into the bed and waited for Lucy to finish her bedtime routine. A few minutes later Lucy returned from the bathroom. She turned off the light and took the opposite side of the bed. The girls instantly started reminiscing and giggling. After a few minutes though, their talks went from light hearted to serious. Maggie could tell that Lucy wanted to talk about something in particular but waited for her to bring it up. Lucy sighed as she thought of what to say.

"Hey, Mags? I really need your advice."


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Ok, because you guys are so sweet and have left some pretty amazing reviews (although all guest reviews :)) I decided to post one more chapter. Keep the reviews coming, they definitely give me more motivation to write and post faster! Hope you all enjoy :)**

Chapter 22

"Luce, you know you can always talk to me." Maggie said reassuringly. "What's on your mind?"

"Well, I guess I am just confused. You seem to have the whole love thing figured out. You and Lewis are adorable and are so in love and...well, I don't know. I guess I just really want that. I think I may have really screwed up though" Lucy said. She felt that familiar lump begin to form in her throat.

"Hey, I know it may seem like I have it all figured out, but it isn't always perfect. No relationship is perfect Luce, you know that. What is going on though? Why do you feel like you have screwed up?" Maggie asked.

"Well you know that Chris and I never had a great relationship to start with. Well, he and I are broken up for the time being. I really did love him Mags. But he was so jealous and controlling and I just couldn't take it. He hated my relationship with Ian-"

"Even though you are just friends? You don't want to be with a guy like Chris, Lucy." Maggie interrupted.

"That is where I sort of screwed up. You know that Ian and I kind of had a little fling when we started the show. I told you that. And you know that we decided after that it would be better to just stay friends for the sake of the show. Well, right after Chris and I broke up", Lucy sighed, trying not to cry, "Ian and I sort of hooked up."

"Really?" Maggie said shocked. She turned on her side and faced her sister. "Look you were not with Chris at the time so it shouldn't be a big deal."

"But the whole time I was with Chris he accused me of cheating on him with Ian. At that time we were just friends. I guess I did have feelings for him, but I just thought of it as a soft spot, you know? I mean we did date for a little bit at the beginning, but we agreed to stay just friends. I never cheated on Chris. You know how I feel about cheating. But I guess part of me feels guilty because I went straight to Ian after Chris. If Chris found out he would do anything he could to make me feel like shit" Lucy cried.

"But Luce, seriously, you need someone better. Chris doesn't deserve a girl as sweet and genuine as you. I have always known you had feelings for Ian, it is pretty obvious. I would never have said anything because it really wasn't my business. But now that you are bringing it up I say go for it. He makes you happy."

"I can't though. I messed up royally there" Lucy said ashamed.

"What do you mean?" Maggie asked confused.

"Holly caught us making out in my dressing room and I freaked out. I kicked him out and I haven't really talked to him since other than while we're filming. Mags, I guess I really broke his heart. Shay told me he was pretty devastated. I don't know what to do. And to make things worse, Chris and I are trying to work on our friendship. I want him in my life but at the same time I need some space to think and he isn't willing to work with me."

"Lucy, look at me" Maggie said looking at her sister. "If you want a relationship like Lewis and I, my suggestion is do what makes you happy. If being with Ian makes you happiest, be with him. If it's Chris, be with him. I think we both know who does, but I want you to make that decision. I love you and I would never want to see you hurt and this is the best advice I could ever give you. If you are happy, the person you are with will be too. Make your decision and everything else will fall into place."

Lucy bit her lip in thought. Maggie was right. She was going to make herself crazy if she kept on the way she was. She also knew that they were on the same page as far as who was best for her. Chris was great. He would probably make someone happy, but it wasn't her. Ian on the other hand could do anything and Lucy would smile. The thought of Ian made a smile draw across her face. "Thanks, Mags. I seriously do not know what I would do without you."

Maggie hugged her sister. "That is what big sisters are for. I knew something was bothering you from the time you arrived. I am just glad you felt like you could confide in me."

"Well, I didn't know who to confide in that would be unbiased. Annie and Chris are good friends so she always takes Chris's side of things into account. Claire on the other hand really can't stand Chris, especially after everything that happened during our breakup so she is all for Ian and I. I'm just glad you don't care about anyone's happiness but mine."

"A good friend should have _your_ happiness in their best interest, not your boyfriend's. I love your friends, but I hope they realize that. I think Claire understands it more than Annie" Maggie said truthfully.

"Yeah, Annie and I have had a couple falling outs with the whole Chris thing. I think if I decide to not be with him though she will be understanding" Lucy said.

"I think so too. I love you Lucy Goose, and I want you to fill me in on everything though. Just because I am married doesn't mean you can't call me when you are having boy troubles."

Both girls laughed lightly. Lucy felt as if a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders. After a few minutes the girls said their goodnights and Lucy turned over. As she looked at the glowing red numbers on the alarm clock next to her she felt the tug of a smile on her lips. Finally, she felt that she was able to make a clear decision. And with that, she drifted soundly to sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you for the amazing feedback on the last couple chapters! You guys are amazing and your feedback really helps! I hope you enjoy the next chapter :)**

Chapter 23

The next morning Lucy was woken up by the smell of frying bacon. She blinked a few times before fully waking up and rolled over to see that Maggie was already out of bed. Yawning, Lucy sat up and swung her legs onto the floor. Slowly she padded her way into the kitchen.

"Morning, sweetheart! How'd you sleep?" Julie greeted her cheerfully.

"G'morning. I slept really well actually, but I swear I could sleep all day" Lucy replied smiling.

"I'm glad to hear you slept well. Are you hungry? Breakfast is almost ready."

"Momma, you didn't have to make a big breakfast. I could have just made some toast or something" Lucy said. She gave her mom a hug then took a seat at the table.

"Well I have both my girls here this morning so I thought that was a good reason to make a big breakfast. I don't get to very often anymore."

Maggie walked into the kitchen freshly showered and set the table. Julie turned off the stove and brought the finished bacon to the table. All three women began filling their plates with the many different breakfast foods. Once they were all in their seats and started eating Julie sighed and smiled.

"I just love this. I love having both of my girls here. I miss the simple things like making you guys breakfast" she said looking at her daughters.

Both Lucy and Maggie smiled. They loved it too. The women continued to talk over breakfast. Once Maggie was finished she pulled her phone out.

"Well, I hate to eat and leave, but Lewis and I have some errands to run and I told him I would be home by 11" she said apologetically.

"That's alright, honey. Thank you for staying here last night. It was nice to have a night with both of my girls" Julie replied. She stood up and hugged her eldest daughter. "I love you, drive safely."

"I will momma" Maggie said. She walked to the other side of the table and hugged Lucy tightly before picking up her bags and heading for the door. "And Luce, I will call you tonight, I would like to see you before you leave tomorrow."

"Ok, Mags. Have a good day, I'll talk with you later" Lucy said waving goodbye to her sister.

Once Maggie left, Lucy and Julie started to clear the table of the breakfast leftovers. They made small talk and laughed as they washed the dishes together. After everything was cleaned up Lucy excused herself to the bathroom for a shower.

As she stood in the shower, Lucy couldn't help but let her mind wander to the talk she and Maggie had the night before. A smile drew across her face. It was relieving to finally have her mind made up, but nerve wracking at the same time since she would have to first break things off for good with Chris, but also try to get Ian to forgive her for how she reacted a few weeks before.

She stepped out of the shower and stepped into a grey and white patterned dress. After towel drying her hair she joined her mom in the living room. As Lucy curled up on the couch, her mom placed her hand on her knee.

"So honey, are you doing alright? I know you were having some boy problems before coming here. I just want to know that you are doing okay" her mother said concerned.

Lucy could feel the blood rushing to her face as she blushed. She laughed nervously. "I am feeling much better than I was last week, momma. I talked to Maggie last night and she really made me feel better."

"I'm so glad. I was really worried about you. I hate that you are alone in such a big city. I know you have your friends but when I know you are upset I want to be there to help you" Julie said as she looked at her daughter. She was starting to get emotional.

"Momma, please don't worry. I will be alright" Lucy promised. "Plus, I think I have made my decision. I think I need to tell Chris that we are done. I loved him, but I know that we will never have what Ian and I have. I have fallen for Ian, momma. I hate saying it because everyone has been telling me to go for it for as long as we've known each other. I guess it just took me a bit longer to realize it. But I think I need to tell him. He is the one who truly makes me happy."

Julie wiped the few tears that were threatening her eyes away and moved in to hug Lucy. "I am so proud of you baby girl. You have grown into such a beautiful young woman and I am so glad you are _finally_ seeing that you deserve to be happy."

"Well, I just hope that he forgives me. I really hurt him. I basically told him we would never be more than friends and stopped talking to him, momma. I just pray that he will understand and we can get back to how we were" Lucy said biting her lip as tears threatened her own eyes.

"Oh baby girl", Julie said as she pulled her daughter into another hug, "if Ian is the kind of man I think he is, he will forgive you. He loves you, honey."

Lucy smiled slightly at the thought. Ian did love her. She just hoped that the love he felt for her a few weeks ago hadn't faded away.

These things continued to consume Lucy's thoughts. This normally would not be a good thing, but she was meeting with Kristian Bush to work on her album. The one good thing about having so many thoughts was that it made for great song inspiration.

As she drove to the studio she sang along to the radio loudly. She pulled into the parking lot, gathered her purse, phone and water bottle and made her way inside. Once she opened the door, Kristian greeted her with a strong hug.

"Hey there, Luce! Good to see you! Ready to do some work?"

"You bet!" Lucy replied smiling.

Lucy followed Kristian into the studio and took a seat. They went over the few songs that were already written and then started to brainstorm for the next song.

"So, do you have any ideas of what you might want to write the next song about?" Kristian asked.

"Well, as a matter of fact I think I do" Lucy said. "I really think I want to try to write one about falling for a best friend. I think a lot of people would be able to relate."

"I agree...Did any real life happenings inspire this idea?" Kristian asked knowingly.

Lucy blushed instantly. "I guess you could say that."

Lucy spilled about her current dilemma to Kristian. She explained that she has been dealing with her feelings for Ian for years now, and she was finally ready to admit to them. Kristian smiled and nodded the whole time she talked.

"I don't know, but I really think this is going to be a good one" Kristian said. "I have a feeling this will end up being the most heartfelt song on the whole album. It'll be easy to write, since you are pretty much going to be putting what you just told me into song form, but I really do believe this will be one of your singles and definitely a fan favorite."

Lucy grinned at Kristian's comment. He was right, it would be the easiest song for her to write so far. Talking about Ian was one of the easiest things for her to do. But by putting it into song, it would only make it better.

The pair started taking Lucy's story and setting it up into song form. After about an hours work, they came up with a rough draft.

"So, what type of song are you thinking you want this to be? I don't know about you, but I really believe this one should be a ballad. It definitely has the emotion of one" Kristian stated.

Lucy nodded in agreement. Kristian turned his chair around and sat at the piano behind him. He started to play a few notes until he came up with a sound he liked.

"What do you think about that?" he asked Lucy of the tune he played.

"I really like it. I think the sound goes well with the lyrics" Lucy said. She looked to be contemplating something before she spoke again. "How do you think it would sound if we tried to do this as an acoustic song? I know we talked about doing one, and I don't know, this song really just stands out as the one to try it with."

"Well, let's try it and see." He wrote down the chords to the tune he played on the piano and passed Lucy the acoustic guitar. "Here are the chords. Give it a shot and we will see how it sounds."

Lucy began strumming on the guitar. She played the chords a few times, then looked at Kristian smiling. He was smiling back.

"Yup. We're doing this song acoustically" Kristian said laughing.

Lucy hopped up from her spot giggling and gave Kristian a hug. She was so excited at how well the song was going. Her instincts were telling her that this was going to be the best song on the album. She sat back down proudly and they got back to work.

After several hours, the pair wrote down definite lyrics, came up with the sound for the song and recorded it. Although this was not the final recording for the song, it sounded absolutely perfect to Lucy. As Kristian played it back for her, it brought tears to her eyes. Kristian saw Lucy's emotion and he put his arm around her shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze.

Lucy gathered her composure and praised Kristian for the work that he put into the song. He laughed and explained that it was all her, he only came up with the tune, which was nothing compared to her powerful voice and lyrics. They decided to call it a day and Lucy hugged Kristian before heading to her car.

Once Lucy made it home she met her mom in the living room. Julie could tell by Lucy's expression that it had been a great day at the studio.

"Hi baby girl!" Julie greeted her daughter. "How was your day at the studio?"

"I have never had a better day than today. We completely finished a song. And momma, I really think this is going to be the best one. It literally brought tears to my eyes."

"Oh honey, that is great! I'm so glad to hear it went well."

Lucy sat on the couch smiling as she thought about her day. As happy as she was to be home, she couldn't wait to get back to LA so she could get the guy that she had been writing about all day.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: As always, thank you so much to all that have reviewed! I'm still so excited that people are liking the story! The last few chapters you got to see Lucy interact with her family, which was so much fun to write. I may bring them back later, it all depends on how long I make this story. I will try to write as often as possible, but I just started a second job so I have a lot less time! I promise to update at least once a week though, most likely more! Keep up with the reviews and I hope you all enjoy this chapter :)**

Chapter 24

Lucy's weekend had come to a close. It was now Monday morning and she and her mom were getting brunch before her flight back to LA. They decided on a little cafe not far from the airport. Settling into a small booth towards the back of the restaurant, they made a decision on what they wanted to eat. Their server greeted them with a very distinct southern drawl and took their orders. A few minutes later she returned bringing two mugs of hot coffee, then left the women to talk.

"So do you have any plans for the rest of your day once you arrive back home?" Julie asked curiously.

"Well, I texted Claire not too long ago to let her know when I'd be back, so we may get dinner or something tonight. But other than that I really just want to cuddle with Jack and relax" Lucy said as she sipped her coffee.

"How is little Jacky doing, anyway? It's been months since I've that little guy" Julie said smiling.

"Jack is as happy as ever. I really need to get him shaved soon though. He _hates_ getting shaved" Lucy laughed.

"Poor baby" Julie said laughing.

The waitress came back and set the plates of hot food on the table. She refilled their coffee and left again.

As they began to eat, Julie looked up at Lucy and smiled. Lucy noticed and gave her mom a confused look. "What? Do I have something on my face?" Lucy asked as she touched her face.

"No, you're fine. I just love seeing you happy. When you got here on Thursday I could tell you were upset. You just weren't yourself. But you have done a complete 180. I just love that coming home has done that to you. I love seeing my baby girl smile" Julie said reassuringly.

"Well thank you momma. I am happy. I really needed this weekend. It has helped me tremendously. I honestly don't know what I would do without you and Maggie. Well, and daddy, but I didn't talk to him about my dilemma or anything" Lucy laughed.

They both laughed at Lucy's comment. "I don't think your daddy would know what to say if you talked to him about boys" Julie said still laughing.

As the pair finished their brunch, Julie paid the tab and they left for the airport.

Lucy checked in her bag with ease and gave her mom a hug goodbye, promising to let her know as soon as she made it to LA safely. She went through security quickly as well and walked the long aisle to her gate. There was at least an hour left until she would board her plane, so she pulled out her phone and went to Ian's name. Shakily, Lucy typed a text to him asking if he'd like to meet up when she got back. After sending the text she waited impatiently for a reply.

Waiting for Ian's text was unbearable so Lucy decided to go to the Starbucks within the airport to pick up some coffee. As she was waiting for her order to come up she felt her phone vibrate against her hip from inside her purse. She waited for the barista to hand her the coffee and then walked back to the chair she was sitting in previously. After putting down her coffee she took a deep breath and looked at the text on her screen.

"I'd love to Luce, but I'm pretty busy for the next week or so. I just bought a house and I will be packing and moving all this week. Sorry. Maybe next week will work."

Lucy felt her heart sink. Ian bought a house? She wasn't even aware he was looking at houses. She hated how distant she and Ian had become over the past 6 weeks. Suddenly she began to tear up. To keep herself from crying she put her phone down and started to sip on her coffee. She felt betrayed, although she knew it was her fault. Ian wasn't the one who pushed her out of his life, but the other way around.

After a few minutes Lucy went from upset to angry. How could she let him slip away so easily? She was willing to fight for what she loved. Picking up her phone she replied to Ian's text: "Wow! A house! I am so proud of you, Shmian! Let me know when works for you and I will make the time. I miss you."

Looking over the text she finally got the courage to send it. She put her phone back in her purse and looked at the watch on her tiny wrist. Her plane would be boarding soon. She gulped down the last of her coffee, and as she got up to discard her cup, the attendant came over the loud speaker to announce that her plane was boarding.

Lucy went back to her seat and picked up her carry-on bag. Pulling her ticket from her purse, she took her spot in line to board the plane.

After several minutes, Lucy made it to her seat. She pulled her phone and earbuds out of her purse and clicked on her itunes. She was exhausted from a long and exciting weekend, so she decided that a nap was in order. Shortly after the plane took off, she was asleep.

Almost 3 hours later, Lucy's eyes fluttered open. She looked around and remembered that she was still on her flight back to LA. She looked at the time on her phone and found that it was 1:10 pm, meaning they were obviously close to home. She took the earbuds from her ears and turned her itunes off. As she was putting her earbuds back into her purse, the flight attendant came over the speaker making Lucy jump. The flight attendant announced that the plane was about to land. Lucy was excited to get off the plane so she could get home to see Jack. She knew he was in safe hands with Annie, but being away from him for more than a day was always hard for her to stand.

Once the plane landed Lucy made her way over to pick up her checked luggage. She pulled it off the conveyer belt and began walking out of the airport, rolling her luggage behind her. She made it to her car, deposited the suitcases into the trunk and hopped into the driver's seat. She pulled out her phone to text her mom, so that she knew she made it home safely. After texting her mom, Lucy found a text from Annie.

"Hey Luce, I'm going to go have lunch and shop with my sister today. Jack is fed. See you tonight!"

Lucy missed Annie, but with her gone, she would have some time to come up with how she would tell her about her weekend. Annie would most likely be a little upset she was done completely with Chris. She wasn't sure how she would tell her, but she had to. Although she was hesitant to tell Annie, she was excited to tell Claire. Claire was always fond of Ian, but never cared for Chris, even in the beginning of their relationship. As Lucy drove home, that was all she could think about. Well, that and the cute little fluff ball named Jack.

After what seemed to take forever, Lucy finally made it home. She hurried up to her apartment, unlocked the door, and was greeted by a very happy Jack. She dropped her purse just inside the door and scooped him up. Nuzzling her nose into his soft fur she hugged him and told him how much she missed him. After a few minutes she set him back onto the floor to pull the rest of her luggage inside the apartment and shut the door. She pulled all her bags into her room and sat on her bed, motioning for Jack to jump up to lay in her lap. Once he did she began petting him and pulled her phone out to call Claire. Two rings later she picked up.

"Hey Luce! Are you home yet?" Claire asked excitedly.

"I am! I literally just walked in to my apartment. I was calling to see if you wanted to come over later to hang out. I was thinking I would just make some food and relax tonight" Lucy said.

"Of course I will! I'll just come over now. I was on my way to pilates but I miss you too much, so I'll just come to your place instead" Claire said laughing.

"Great! I missed you Claire Bear. I'll see you soon!" Lucy giggled.

They hung up and Lucy began to unpack her bags. She knew if she didn't do it now, it would never get done. Within only a few minutes, Claire was walking through the door.

"Wow! How the hell did you make it here so fast?" Lucy asked incredulously.

"Well I was like 2 minutes from your house..." Claire said smiling.

"Oh. I didn't realize you were so close" Lucy said hugging her. "Do you mind if I take a shower quick? You can do whatever, I'll try to make it fast."

"Please do, you smell terrible" Claire joked. "Just kidding, but really go ahead. I'll find something to do for 20 minutes."

Lucy thanked Claire and went to the bathroom shutting the door behind her. She got into the shower and let the water run down her body. It felt so good to be able to relax. It had been a long time since she was able to fully relax. She squirted shampoo into her hand and began to lather it in her hair. She continued to think about her current situation and was hoping Claire would give her the same positive insight that her mom and sister gave. Once she was done washing up, she got out of the shower and wrapped herself in a big, fluffy towel.

Padding into her room she slipped into shorts and a comfy t-shirt and went to find Claire. She looked everywhere and began laughing out loud when she found Claire in the middle of her kitchen doing pilates.

"Oh my God, Claire. What the hell are you doing?" Lucy said still laughing.

"Well, since I didn't go to pilates I figured I would just do it here."

Lucy pulled out her phone and took a picture of her best friend. "Only you, Claire Bear. Only you. Instagram is going to love this one."

Claire began laughing with Lucy as she stood up to see the picture. She rolled up her yoga mat and put it with the rest of her belongings as they both went into the living room. Both girls flopped down onto the couch, expecting to talk about Lucy's trip.

"So how was Tennessee?" Claire asked nudging Lucy.

"Oh my God. It was amazing. I seriously have so much to tell you!" Lucy gushed.

"What happened?!" Claire asked excitedly.

"Well, first off, seeing my family really helped clear my head. Before I left I was really having a hard time with everything, but I am seeing things so much clearer now. So, Maggie and I had a long talk about my guy situation, and basically I think I'm done with Chris for good. I plan on talking to him, hopefully tomorrow. I guess she helped me realize just how much Ian and I belong together." Lucy looked at Claire smiling goofily as Claire looked back to her thrilled. "I don't know, Claire Bear. It took me so long, but I _know_ this is what I need. Ian has been there all along. I wish I would have listened to you from the get go."

Claire leaned over and squeezed Lucy. "God Luce, I am so proud of you right now! I hate Chris for how he treated you. He was such an ass all the time. I am just so glad you are _finally_ realizing that you deserve a good guy like Ian."

"Thanks. I know it took me forever, but I am so sure of it now. I just hope he feels the same." Lucy went from ecstatic to a little sad. "Ian bought a house" she blurted out.

"He bought a house? When?" Claire asked confused.

"I don't know, recently I guess. We haven't talked since the whole Holly thing, well other than at work. I feel like shit knowing I didn't know this because I pushed him away."

"Hey, it's not a big deal. He loves you still, I am sure. He's loved you since day one, Luce. I don't think anything will change that boy's mind" Claire said reassuringly.

"I really hope so. I need to talk to him but he said he will be pretty busy this week with moving. So I guess I'll talk to Chris and get to Ian as soon as I can."

Claire grabbed Lucy's hand. "It'll work out. Don't worry so much. You are getting rid of the bad in your life, so you can make room for the good. Ian will understand. I am just elated that you are realizing this!"

"Thanks, Claire Bear. I need to tell Annie, too. I have no idea how she will react..."

"Who cares. If she wants to be a bitch about it, let her. She will get over it. Don't tell her I said this, but sometimes I swear she wants Chris. I don't know, he's nothing great, yet she always wants him around. Frankly, it pisses me off" Claire said slightly angry.

"I know. That is why I'm a little nervous to tell her" Lucy said. "But oh well, it has to be done!"

The girls continued to gossip about boys and everything else under the sun. After a few hours they made dinner and decided to watch _Here Comes Honey Boo Boo_ reruns. Lucy was having a great time bonding with Claire, and then Annie walked in. She greeted her as she came through the door and began to mentally prepare herself for the conversation about to be had.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"Hey Banan! How was shopping?" Lucy asked nervously.

"It was really fun. I got some really cute stuff! Give me a sec and I will show you everything!" Annie replied excitedly.

As Annie went to her bedroom to put her boots and purse away, Lucy gave Claire a nervous glance. Claire gave Lucy a nod back encouraging her to tell Annie about everything that happened that weekend. A moment later, Annie returned to the living room.

"Sorry to leave just as you are getting here, Ann, but I told Kurt I'd be home tonight. He probably assumed I meant hours ago." She stood up and gave Lucy a hug and moved to give Annie one as well. "The three of us will have to do dinner and drinks soon, though. Maybe next week sometime?"

"Yeah, sure. That sounds great!" Annie said cheerfully.

After Claire said her goodbyes, she gave Lucy one final look and gave her the call me signal before heading out the door.

"So are you hungry? We literally just ate like a half an hour ago and there is leftover pasta in the fridge" Lucy said.

"No thanks, Soph and I got sushi before we left the mall" Annie replied before taking Claire's spot on the couch.

"Oh man, that sounds so good right now" Lucy said smiling. "I'm glad you guys had a good time though. I really wish my sister lived in LA so we could do shopping trips more often."

"Yeah it was nice to catch up, we've both been pretty busy lately. But speaking of sisters, how was Tennessee?"

"It was so great to see my family, I really missed them. With all the stress I have been under lately, the vacation was needed. And to be honest, it helped clear my head so much. I feel like I can actually think straight again" Lucy began honestly.

"So what did you do while you were there? Did you get a chance to get to the recording studio?" Annie asked with interest.

"I did. And I wrote and recorded a song within a couple of hours. It was amazing. You will have to hear it" Lucy gushed.

"What is it about?"

"Um...well...it is about falling for a best friend. Which is something else I have to tell you. I had a heart to heart with Maggie and she really made me realize what I want" Lucy said nervously. She ran her hand through her hair and looked up at Annie to gauge her expression. When she found her to have a confused look on her face, Lucy knew she had to continue. "Ann, I really need to end things with Chris. Like, for good. He is only bringing me down and although he is a great guy and will make someone extremely happy one day, that person is not me. I guess I am just realizing how happy Ian really makes me. I feel like I will never be truly happy with anyone else until I try things with Ian. If things don't work out, fine. But at least I can say I gave it a shot."

Lucy continued to watch Annie's expression. It went from confusion to an expression she couldn't quite read.

Annie nodded slowly and sighed. "Well Luce, you are going to do what you want, and if that is cutting things off completely with Chris, then I guess so be it. But don't you think you should try to have a friendship at least? I just feel like you will regret it later if you stop talking to him altogether..."

Lucy was starting to get irritated rather quickly. She was sick of Annie trying to push Chris on her. "Look Annie, like I said he is a great guy, but I cannot take another day of his controlling demeanor. I just can't. From the very first day of our breakup I told him I needed some space and after some time we could slowly start talking again. He couldn't even leave me alone for a _week._ I just feel like the more I am around him, the more he annoys me. And I am so sick of being with someone solely for someone else's pleasure. I want to be happy. For once in my life." She could feel her face radiating heat as she continued her rant. "If you aren't happy with my choices, fine. I can't do this to myself anymore. I have denied my feelings for 3 years, Annie. Three fucking years. I have been with other guys but none of them have made me feel as happy as one day with Ian makes me feel. I know you don't care for Ian but I'm sorry. This is my love life, and I am going to date who makes me happy."

Annie looked at Lucy, shocked. She had never seen Lucy get so angry towards her. Sighing, she grabbed Lucy's hand. "Luce, look. I want you to be happy and I didn't mean that you should date Chris again or anything like that. I'm sorry if you felt pressure from me to date him or continue talking to him. I guess I just never realized just how much you cared about Ian. I always thought it was just more of an attraction. But if that is what genuinely makes you happy, then go for it. I don't _not_ like Ian, I just think it is risky to date a costar is all. If you guys date, I will get to know him, and I'm sure he is great. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Well Ian has never hurt me the way any of my previous boyfriends have." Lucy looked at Annie with tear brimmed eyes. "I love him, Ann. I really, really do. The more I deny it the stronger that love is. I don't know how much longer I can take it. I plan on talking to Chris soon, hopefully tomorrow. Once I talk to him I plan on talking to Ian. I just want to make things right."

Annie threw her arms around Lucy's shoulders. "Well whatever you decide, I will be here for you. I may not agree, but I will always support you. You are my best friend and I love you!"

"Thanks Banan. I love you too." As the girls separated from their embrace Lucy looked at her phone to find that it was already 9:20 pm. "Well, I am going to try to get ahold of Chris and see if he will meet me tomorrow so I can break the news to him" Lucy said reluctantly. She got up from her spot on the couch, giving Annie a small smile as she walked to her room to call Chris.

Lucy sat on her bed petting Jack nervously as the phone rang. After 5 rings, there was no answer and it went to voicemail. Lucy took a deep breath and waited for the beep to leave a voicemail. Seconds later the beep sounded and Lucy began to record her message:

"Hey Chris. It's me, Lucy. Um, I was wondering if you were busy tomorrow afternoon. I really need to talk to you about something, and I was wondering if you wanted to get coffee or lunch or something. Let me know once you get this. Thanks. Bye."

After hanging up, Lucy tossed her phone aside and flopped down on her bed. Jack hopped up excitedly and began to lick Lucy's face. She giggled at her dog and rolled over to pet him some more. As she rolled over she saw her phone lighting up. Picking it up she found a text from Claire.

"So...how'd it go?!"

Lucy smiled and replied with "better than expected" and put her phone down on the bed. She stood up and went to her dresser to find pajamas. As she looked up into the mirror above her dresser, she noticed a small smile was plastered to her face. In less than 24 hours, she may be free of Chris, she thought. Thinking this made her smile even larger. Shaking the thoughts from her head she searched her drawers and found a small pair of black shorts and a red t-shirt. After slipping them on, she returned to her bed to find a new text. This time it was from Chris. Lucy's heart pounded and her hands began to shake and she opened the new message. "Tomorrow sounds great. Meet me at the Rainbow Cafe across from Trader Joe's at 1?"

Lucy felt the all too familiar smile cross her lips as she accepted his offer. She leaned back against her pillow and turned off the bedside lamp. She was exhausted and sleep would come easy for her after a long day of traveling and laziness. On top of that, she needed her sleep, since the next day was going to be a big day for her.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: So this chapter is going to be a little longer and you will also get to see Claire interact with Ian. This was sort of difficult to write, since I have been writing mostly from how Lucy sees things, but I really like how it turned out. Claire and Ian's conversation will be in italics and is the second half of this chapter. I really hope you guys enjoy it :)**

Chapter 26

The next morning came quickly for Lucy. She woke up later than she planned, but felt very well rested. She was slightly surprised at the quality sleep she had since her nerves were running high due to the confrontation with Chris she would be having in only a mere couple of hours. After stretching and slowly getting out of bed, Lucy went to shower.

Lucy was famous for taking long showers. This shower was exceptionally long. She often did most of her thinking while standing there under the water, and today was no exception. She contemplated what to say to Chris to get the point across, but without being too hurtful. It was going to be difficult to find a happy medium. She was jolted from her thoughts as the hot water started to run cold. She turned the faucet off and jumped out quickly, wrapping herself in a towel.

She dressed quickly in a casual outfit and went to the kitchen to feed Jack. As she passed the stove she noticed the time and realized she was running late. She skipped back to her room to finish her hair and makeup. She placed a baseball cap on her head and pulled her sunglasses from her purse as she made her way towards the door.

Lucy hopped into her car and turned the country station up loud to help drown out her thoughts. She drove the short way to the Rainbow Cafe, only a few minutes from her apartment. As she pulled into the parking lot, she recognized Chris's car already parked. She decided to park away from him since after their lunch he most likely would not want to be around her.

After parking, she locked her car and preceded to walk into the small restaurant. She told the host that she was meeting someone and found the tall blonde sitting in a small booth next to the window. Making her way to the booth, she greeted Chris with a hug and sat across from him.

"It is so good to see you, Luce. How are you?" Chris asked cheerfully.

"I'm doing alright. I've been really busy between filming and recording. But it was nice to get away and see my family" she answered.

"How was Tennessee?" he asked.

"It was great. I really needed it" Lucy replied honestly.

Just then, their server came to take their orders. He was a handsome guy with strong biceps and deep dimples. He was extra friendly with Lucy. "Hey guys, my name is Luke, I'll be taking care of you this afternoon. What can I get you to drink?"

"I think we're ready to order our food as well" Chris said stiffly.

"Awesome. What can I get you?" the server responded.

"I'll have a water and the California club sandwich" Chris answered.

"Okay. And for you beautiful?" the server said to Lucy smiling.

"Could I get a diet Dr. Pepper and the grilled chicken salad with dressing on the side, please?" she said politely.

"Sure thing. I'll put it right in" Luke said keeping his attention on Lucy the whole time.

As he walked away, Chris rolled his eyes.

"What?" Lucy asked incredulously.

"That guy is a fucking creep. Did you see the way he was staring at you?" he responded rudely.

"Relax. He was just being friendly."

"Friendly" Chris said sarcastically. "More like he wants to get in your pants."

"Seriously, Chris. Stop" Lucy said seriously.

"Okay. Sorry. So what did you want to talk about?" Chris asked changing the subject.

Luke returned just in time with their beverages.

Twirling her sunglasses between her fingers nervously, Lucy took her time to answer. "Well I did a lot of thinking when I was home. I just...I don't know, Chris. I really think you are a great guy, but I'm just not happy. I think I need to focus on what makes me happy right now. And right now that is my career and my friends." She looked up anxiously to gauge his reaction. He was pissed and she could tell. "I really don't want to cause a fight" she added innocently.

Chris ran his hands through his hair and cleared his throat. "So what changed? We decided we were going to try to work things out, I thought? What the hell happened?"

"Chris, we decided to continue talking, as _friends._ I never once said we were going to get back together. Maybe that is what you thought, but that wasn't my intention" Lucy said defensively.

Just as the argument was about to get heated, their server was back with their meals. Neither one was exactly hungry anymore. As the server walked away, Chris glared at him, then moved his eyes to Lucy.

"So what the fuck was the point in talking again?" Chris asked trying to keep his voice down.

"I thought you wanted to work on our friendship! A guy and girl can be just friends, you know. That is all I intended. I'm sorry if you thought otherwise."

Chris was furious. He waved his hand for the server to come back. "Can we get some to go boxes? I'm not feeling very hungry anymore" he said rudely. Within minutes the server was back with two boxes and the bill.

Chris tossed his food into the box and threw down just enough money to cover the bill. He looked to Lucy with a scowl on his face.

"So this is it, huh? Let me guess, you found someone else. You were just going to string me along until someone else came around. Who is it? That Nash guy? I saw the pictures Lucy. Or is it Ian? Are you guys back to fucking again?" Chris accused.

"No. You know what? What I do in my private life is my business. To be honest, THIS is why I am done. I am so damn sick of you always being so controlling and jealous. I have not been happy in months. I need to focus on the good in my life and I'm sorry, but that doesn't include you" she said bitterly.

At that, Chris got up and walked out of the restaurant. Lucy sat on the booth and let out a sigh of relief. Looking down at the bill, she realized Chris didn't even leave a tip. Pissed about his behavior and partially to spite him, Lucy took a twenty from her wallet and added it to the $22.50 Chris left. She stood up and left the restaurant and made it out to her car.

_It was 12:45 and Claire had a full day of nothing ahead of her. Instead of staying home and being lazy, she decided she would go run some errands. She needed to pick up a few groceries, but since she was going to be out anyway, she decided to swing over to one of her favorite places, Olive and Thyme. Olive and Thyme was a tiny restaurant in Burbank that she and Kurt went to often. _

_She parked across the street and walked over to the restaurant. As she opened the door, the smell of roasted coffee and herbs flooded her nose. She took a deep breath in and smiled as she walked up to the counter to place her order. For now, she was going to just order a tea latte and sit outside in the sunshine. Picking up her latte, she walked back outside, through the front door, and sat at one of the few small tables in the front of the restaurant. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through Twitter while sipping on her latte when someone familiar caught her eye. Walking down the sidewalk was the blue eyed, curly haired man that had consumed her best friend's thoughts: Ian._

_Claire waited patiently for Ian to make his way closer. He seemed to be in his own little world as he turned and walked right next to Claire, about to go inside Olive and Thyme._

_Just then Claire decided to say something. "Ian Harding. I haven't seen you in forever" she said confidently with a smile._

_Ian turned confused. Once he figured out who was talking to him, his lips turned up into a smile. "Claire! Wow, I had no idea who said my name at first. How are you?" he said hugging her._

"_I'm doing well. Just stopped to get my favorite latte. What are you up to?"_

"_Well, I was going to stop in and grab a bite. I have to head over to Williams and Sonoma to pick up some new plates. I'm packing up my apartment and had a box too close to the edge of the counter and bumped into it this morning. Needless to say every single plate in the box shattered" he said with humor in his voice._

"_Oh man, that sucks! Well, if you don't want to eat alone, you can join me out here. I'm just enjoying the sunshine" Claire said with a smile._

"_I may just take you up on that offer. Did you want anything? I can put in an order for you" he said politely._

"_Actually, I was about to go in and order the Oriental chicken salad" she said._

"_I can put it in for you. I'll be back out in a few."_

_Claire nodded and thanked Ian. She sat sipping her latte slowly until he returned a few minutes later. He pulled out the chair next to her and sat down, sipping on his own coffee._

"_So how are you? I heard you just bought a house?" Claire asked._

"_Yeah, I did. I have almost everything packed up...except plates now." He laughed, then continued. "I start moving everything in tomorrow so I have a busy week of moving ahead of me."_

"_I heard. It's so good to see you again! I feel like it has been forever since I saw you last. Well, I guess it was at Luce's birthday party, but that was a little...awkward" Claire said trying to find the right word._

_Ian smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. It was a little awkward. But always a good time" he added quickly._

"_It's okay, you can say it was awkward. It was for me too. Chris wouldn't let her leave his side the whole night. It sucked" Claire said honestly. "But good news! She is done with him for good. Finally!"_

"_Really..." Ian said. He had a look on his face that Claire couldn't quite read._

"_Okay, so she would kill me for talking to you about all of this but I feel like I should fill you in. She has been having a rough couple of months, especially since...well you guys" Claire started to say. She noticed Ian looked slightly uncomfortable. "Look Ian, she has been beating herself up over how she ended things. Like, she has been miserable. I'll let her be the one to tell you exactly how she feels but it kills her that she hurt you. I just thought you should know that."_

_Before Ian could say anything a waitress brought out Claire's salad and a grilled vegetable sandwich for Ian. They both thanked the waitress and went back to their conversation while picking at their food._

"_I'm guessing that is why she wanted to meet up, then" Ian guessed._

"_Yeah. She wanted to apologize for everything. Well, that and tell you about her being done with Chris for good. And I know you hate the asshole about as much as I do, which is a lot, and you know how much she was hurt by him. She finally came to her senses though. But Ian, I know it would mean a lot to her if you would forgive her..." Claire said carefully._

_Ian ran a hand through his hair and sighed. It took a few minutes for him to speak again. "Look Claire, you know how much I love Luce, I have since I met her, but after this last time, I don't know if I can do it again. I really don't. When you love someone that much and you keep believing they love you back, it is a real slap in the face when they drop you like she did to me" Ian said honestly. He cleared his throat and spoke again. "I don't blame her for anything, I understand why she did what she did. I just don't know if I can try to have a relationship with her again. It just hurts too much when it doesn't work out."_

_Claire nodded slowly. She understood, and her heart sank for Ian. "I understand. I think she would be thrilled to know that you would forgive her even. She thinks you hate her."_

_Ian's eyes widened a bit. "I could never hate Lucy. I love her too much to ever hate her. But sometimes, as much as I love her, I just wonder if it is a little one sided."_

_Claire laughed a little at his comment. "Ian, believe me, it is definitely not one sided. I have spent countless nights comforting her because she couldn't control her feelings she's had for you. She loves you so much, it is actually pretty disgusting" she said, wrinkling her nose in fake disgust._

_Ian smiled a little. He was relieved to hear what Claire had to say. "Well I will get ahold of her and see if she wants to meet up next week or something. To talk."_

"_Thanks Ian. Seriously. You are not only doing her a favor, but me too. I hate seeing her unhappy. You honestly are the only thing that truly makes her happy...besides her dog of course" Claire said with a smile._

_Ian laughed. Both were finished with their meals and the waitress returned with the bill. Just as Claire was about to ask to have it split, Ian put his hand up._

"_I've got this" he said simply as he gave the waitress his card._

_She walked away quickly to run the card._

"_You didn't have to do that!" Claire said hitting his arm playfully. "Thanks, though. I owe you one."_

_The waitress returned and thanked them for stopping in. Both Claire and Ian stood up and hugged._

"_We seriously need to all get together again. Like old times" Claire said._

"_Sounds like a plan. It was good to see you Claire" Ian responded._

_Claire waved goodbye and walked to her car. She needed to call Lucy ASAP to tell her the news._


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Sorry it took a few days to get this chapter up. I will add Chapter 28 tonight as well. Unfortunately it may be a week before I get 29 up though because I have a very busy week at work this week. I will try to get it up as soon as I can though! Let me know what you would like to see happen with Lucy and Ian, because as of now, I am writing Chapter 35 and a few chapters later will be up to present time! I will consider your guy's ideas if I get some :) Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 27

Lucy unlocked the door to her apartment and closed the door behind her. She plopped her purse down on the counter in the kitchen and put her untouched salad in the refrigerator. She planned on running some errands since she had the day off, but her phone distracted her from her plans. It was Claire on the other end.

"Hey there baby girl" Claire said happily.

"Hi Claire Bear. What's up?" Lucy asked slightly confused by her excessive happiness.

"Oh you know, same ol' thing as always. But you will never guess who I happened to run into today" she said in a teasing manner.

"Who?"

"Just the man of your dreams" Claire said laughing.

"What?" Lucy asked laughing. "Are you talking about Ian?"

"Uh yeah, who else" Claire said matter of factly. "And we talked about you."

"You did not!" Lucy threatened. "Claire Leahy you had better be lying to me right now."

"But I'm not" Claire said in a sing song voice. "Don't worry, I put in a good word for you."

"Oh my God" Lucy said rubbing her forehead. "What did you say?"

"Just stuff. I promise I didn't say anything bad. But he plans on getting together with you soon. Like next week."

"He said that?" Lucy asked, a smile drawing across her face.

"He did."

"God, you are so lucky you just said that because I could really kill you right now" Lucy said laughing.

"You know I love you and wouldn't say anything that would embarrass you. Well I would, but not with everything going on" she snickered. "So how did everything go with Chris?"

"Ha. How does it ever go? We're done. He's pissed. He was an ass the whole time and claimed I was stringing him along. But you know what? I'm not even upset. I am just so excited that I can finally be happy" Lucy said honestly.

"I'm proud of you, Lucy. I really am. You deserve someone so much better."

"Thanks, Claire Bear. I gotta get going though, I have to get groceries. I literally have like nothing in my fridge. We will catch up soon though. I love you and thank you. For everything."

"Love you too. See you soon."

Lucy hung up the phone and checked the list on the fridge that she and Annie made for groceries they needed. Mentally checking off everything she needed to get, she walked to her car. Once she started her car she realized what song was on and she laughed to herself. Taylor Swift was belting out 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together', which was perfect for the situation Lucy was in. She began to sing along to the song as she drove the short drive to Trader Joe's.

Within minutes she was in the parking lot. She went inside and made sure to get the staples of her house: chickpeas for hummus, almond milk, plenty of veggies, Jack's dog food, and Lucky Charms for Annie. She strolled up and down the aisles and finally went to the front of the store to check out. After checking out she walked to her car and found a couple of paparazzi around the corner. They ran up to Lucy asking her how she was and what she was shopping for while snapping picture after picture of her. Normally paparazzi annoyed Lucy, but she was always polite. Today she was in a particularly good mood so she smiled and waved, which pleased the photographers.

She loaded her car full of groceries and started back to her apartment. After the 5 minute drive she tried to grab all the bags at once to take inside. Struggling, she finally made it up the flight of stairs to her door. Thankfully, it was unlocked, which meant Annie was home. She opened the door and dropped a couple of bags to the floor and scooted them with her foot towards the kitchen.

"Thank God you got food!" Annie exclaimed. "I am starvingggg."

"I thought you would be" Lucy laughed. "Help me take care of them and we can make some dinner."

The girls began to unpack all the groceries, leaving spinach, strawberries, walnuts and feta cheese out for a salad. Lucy tossed the ingredients together while Annie put the remaining groceries away. As she was in the pantry, Annie started to ask Lucy how lunch went with Chris. She peeked around the door to see Lucy's expression. She found Lucy plating the salads with a smirk on her face.

"So?" Annie asked smiling.

"Well, it went about how I expected. He probably hates me. I thought I would be upset after talking to him, but honestly, I feel like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. He said I was leading him on this whole time. I guess that just did it for me."

"How were you leading him on?" Annie asked confused.

"I don't know. Apparently by 'working on our friendship' he expected it to turn to more than friends" Lucy said with air quotes.

Annie shook her head. "I don't know why he would think that. He really has no right to be mad at you since you did say that you only wanted to work on your friendship. You never said you were planning on getting back together."

"Right. Oh well though, I don't particularly care anymore. I have no intentions of getting back together, but obviously we can't even be friends because that isn't enough for him. So I am done" Lucy said finally. She sat down at the table and took a bite of her salad.

"But you are okay though?" Annie asked looking at Lucy.

"Yeah. I really am. I feel better than I have in a long time" Lucy responded with a genuine smile.

"Well I'm glad you are okay" Annie said as she hugged Lucy. "I'm just glad to have my Lucy Goose back."

Lucy smiled. She was glad to be back too.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Lucy awoke early the next morning, still in a great mood. She had to be to set at noon for a table read and she was thrilled to be able to see Ian for the first time in almost a month. Since she was awake at 8:30 am she decided she would go for a run to try to burn off some of the nervous energy she was feeling. After dressing in her running clothes, she tied her shoes and picked her phone up off the bed, plugging in her earbuds as she closed the door behind her.

As she walked out of the building, Lucy turned on her running app and workout playlist on her phone. The music started to flow to her ears and she began running. Running was one thing Lucy loved to do to release stress and calm her down. It was often hard to stop because she would begin thinking and forget she was running. Today was no different. She ran down the sidewalk of her road until it dead ended and then she turned down the next road. Before long she realized she had been running a longer path than normal. She looked down to her phone and found that she had already run a little over 4 miles. Laughing to herself, she turned down the next cross road, which was a shortcut to her apartment.

Within 10 minutes she returned to her apartment complex. She removed the earbuds from her ears and jogged up the stairs to her door. Once she was inside she slipped out of her shoes and fed Jack before getting into the shower.

Fresh from the shower, Lucy changed into her chosen outfit for the day and went into the kitchen to brew some coffee and start breakfast. Annie was still asleep, and since Lucy was in such a great mood, she thought it would be nice to make a proper breakfast for the two of them.

Lucy opened the fridge and took out a few eggs and the carton of milk. She cracked the eggs into a bowl and added the milk, whisking the ingredients together. She added a few spices and put the mixture in a skillet. While the eggs were starting to cook she chopped up a pepper and an onion and added it to the cooking omelette. Right before it was finished she sprinkled a small amount of cheese on half and folded it over. As she was plating the omelette and popping toast into the toaster, Annie opened her bedroom door.

"Something smells good" Annie said sleepily.

"Good morning sunshine!" Lucy chimed. "You woke up just in time!"

"Aw thanks baby girl! You didn't have to make me breakfast" Annie said as she hugged her best friend. "I see you are in a great mood this morning. How long have you been up?"

"I got up around 8:30 and went for a run. I just got home and decided I would make us a proper breakfast since I was up anyway."

Annie poured herself some coffee and pulled the toast out of the toaster and they both sat down at the table. "Well I love when you get up early, especially when you are this happy!"

Lucy smiled and took a bite of her cheese free omelette. "I'm really excited to see how today goes. I slept surprisingly well being that I am as excited as I am! I haven't seen Ian in almost a whole month."

Annie took a sip of her coffee. "Well you have to be on set at noon, right? You only have an hour and a half before you get to see him" she teased.

"Oh my God I know! I can't wait. But I am so nervous. I'm hoping it goes well" Lucy said as she finished the piece of toast in her hand. She stood up and took her plate to the sink.

"Luce, it will go fine I'm sure. I might not be here when you get home, but as soon as I get back I expect to hear _everything_!" Annie said excitedly.

"Oh, believe me, I won't leave out any details" Lucy gushed. "But I really should go get ready" she added.

Lucy went to her room and finished getting herself ready for the day and then spent a few minutes cuddling Jack before leaving for set. The ride there seemed to take forever and once she finally arrived, it took everything in her to not run into the building.

As she opened the door to the room for the table read, Lucy was greeted by Ashley and Troian. She smiled and hugged them both and then began to make small talk about her weekend trip to Tennessee. As she was finishing her conversation with the girls, she noticed Ian slip through the door. It felt as if it had been a year since she last saw him. He greeted a few other costars as he made his way to the corner of the room Lucy was standing in. She couldn't help but stare at his beautiful smile. As he got closer, she noticed he was letting his facial hair grow out a bit. From the tugging she felt in her core, it was obvious that she found it extremely sexy.

Finally, after saying hi to everyone in his path, Ian made his way to Lucy. She smiled as he pulled her into a tight embrace. The feeling of his strong arms around her made her want to cry. As they pulled away from the hug he finally spoke.

"How are you?" Ian asked simply.

"I am doing really well" Lucy said sincerely. "I feel better than I have in months."

"I'm so glad to hear it. So, I have a really big favor to ask you."

Lucy looked at him confused. "Okay."

"You know that the fans have been asking us to do a ustream, basically since the last one..." Ian said looking at Lucy. "Well I teamed up with the Lupus Foundation and I'm trying to raise $10,000 for my mom. Some fans mentioned doing a ustream to gain donations. Would you be willing to do one with me? I may ask Julian to join as well." he said nervously. "You don't have to, I just thought it would be an easy way to gain some donations and get the ustream out of the way. Kind of killing two birds with one stone."

"Ian, I would love to! That is so sweet of you to do this for your mom. When are you thinking?" Lucy asked enthusiastically.

"How about this weekend? Maybe Sunday?"

"Sunday works great" Lucy said warmly.

Everyone took their seats and began going over the script. Lucy tried to concentrate as much as she could, but her excitement was testing her. It was extremely hard for her to sit still for the couple hours required to read through the script. After what seemed like an eternity, they were allowed to go home. Lucy stood up from her seat and began hugging everyone goodbye. After hugging Ian, she was about to leave when she overheard Tyler talking to Ian.

"So man, how was your birthday? Did Sophia do anything special for you?"

Lucy couldn't believe what she heard. She prayed that she misunderstood what was said, but she was sure she didn't.

"Nah, she was working unfortunately. And now she is back in New York for the week, she won't be back 'til next Monday" Ian responded.

Lucy walked quickly out of the room. The information she just overheard hit her like a ton of bricks. She felt as if she could throw up and cry at the same time. As she briskly walked to her car she kept telling herself that Ian and Sophia were only friends. He said that with her traveling so much it made it too hard to hold a relationship. Right? She hoped desperately that he still felt that way.

As she got into her car she held her head in her hands. She didn't know what to think. Her whole day felt like it had turned around over one stupid comment. She drove home trying to concentrate on the music, but she couldn't help but think about Ian and Sophia.

Once she arrived home she pulled her phone out of her purse and walked up to her apartment. She noticed she had a text message. Upon opening it, she realized it was from Keegan.

"Hey, I was going to talk to you after the table read, but you left too soon. I'm planning a surprise b-day party for Ian this Saturday at his new house. You should come out, he'd love it if you did!"

Lucy let out long sigh. She didn't know how to respond at the moment. She wanted desperately to go, just so she could see Ian, but she wasn't sure that would be a great idea if he was talking to Sophia again. She typed back that she would try to make it, leaving it open ended so she had time to decide.

Once she was inside her apartment she flopped down on the couch and brought her laptop into her lap. She logged onto to Twitter and scrolled through her mentions. She was hoping that the many words of love and encouragement from the fans would improve her sudden mood change, but what she found was far from expected.

Chris was one of the first names to pop up into her mentions. A fan tweeted Chris, telling him that he was lucky to be dating Lucy. He responded to the fan simply by saying 'don't have a girlfriend, she decided she was too good'. Lucy's jaw dropped at his response. She knew that he was impulsive, but this was the final straw. She clicked on his name and scrolled through his page. Tears began to fall one by one as she read through the countless tweets aimed at her. He was making her out to be the bad guy and trying to get pity from his fans. She clicked the unfollow button and went back to her own page again. She knew that going through more of her mentions would only upset her, but she couldn't help herself.

Many of Lucy's fans were extremely supportive and told her that she was too good for someone so immature, said she could find someone better and that they loved her no matter what. She didn't exactly expect all the tweets of hate from Chris's fans though. Many sent her tweets telling her that she was a bitch for breaking his heart. Others insulted her as an actress and the worst were the ones insulting her as a person.

Lucy continued to torture herself and scrolled through numerous messages, some supportive and others very hateful, when suddenly Annie appeared through the door. Her eyes went wide when she saw her best friend sitting on the couch with tears continually streaming down her face.

"Oh my God, Lucy! Are you alright?" Annie exclaimed as she rushed to Lucy's side.

Lucy didn't say anything. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around Annie's neck and began to sob. Annie wasn't quite sure what happened but she squeezed her friend and began rubbing her back in a soothing way.

"Luce, honey, you have to tell me what happened" Annie coaxed.

Lucy turned her computer so Annie could read the messages. Annie's face went from confused to angry as she read the many messages that appeared on the screen.

"What did Chris say?" Annie asked quietly.

Lucy went to his profile and showed her the tweets he posted. Annie's mouth hung open as she read the ridiculous posts.

"Oh Lucy, I am so sorry. I'm going to talk to him. He needs to knock this shit off." Just like that, Annie stood up from the couch and called Chris. She went into her room for more privacy, but returned only moments later. "He didn't answer, but I left him a pretty lengthy voicemail. He doesn't need to act like that. That was uncalled for."

Lucy sat in the corner of the couch hugging her knees to her chest. She was silent and didn't respond much to anything Annie was saying. Suddenly the door opened again. This time it was a very angry Claire. "Did you see what that asshole did?!"

She ran over to Lucy's side and wrapped her arms around her tightly. With the embrace, Lucy began bawling all over again.

"Luce, I am so sorry. He can rot in hell for all I care. I sent him a dm, hopefully he gets exactly how I feel. I knew he was an immature dick but I didn't think he would play this game again" Claire said angrily.

"Hey, she doesn't need to hear that right now" Annie started. "She just needs to be comforted at the moment. He isn't always a dick, he is just making a dick move."

Claire shot Annie a look as her mouth hung open. "Are you serious right now? He is an ass and always has been. He hasn't done anything but cause her pain" Claire shot back.

"Claire, she was happy with him for awhile. He just made some dumb mistakes is all. I called him, he'll come to his senses."

Claire's face became furiously red. "What the hell is wrong with you, Annie? He was always controlling her. He did from the very beginning. I am so damn sick of you sticking up for him. When are you going to take her side in things? He has hurt her so many times and every time he has you tell her how sorry you are, but it is never Chris's fault. Maybe you should stop thinking about him for a second and realize just how much he has hurt Lucy" Claire spat back.

"Whoa. I do not take Chris's side on everything. I am always here for Lucy. You both know that. I'm sorry that you have a problem with me talking to Chris too. I know what he did was dumb and I'm not making excuses for him, but he isn't a bad person because he did something dumb" Annie shouted back.

Lucy pushed her hands through her hair in frustration and pushed past both of her friends. She went straight for her room and slammed the door behind her. She wasn't in the mood to hear them argue.

Claire and Annie stood a few feet apart and stared at each other in shock. They apologized to each other and both entered Lucy's room cautiously.

"Luce, we're sorry. We didn't mean to upset you. Can we come in?" Claire asked.

She peeked inside to find Lucy sitting on her bed not saying a word. She moved into the room slowly, Annie close behind. Both girls sat on the bed beside Lucy and draped their arms around her.

"I'm sorry Lucy. I didn't mean to make it seem like I was taking Chris's side. I'm not. What he did is totally uncalled for and he needs to apologize big time for it. You do deserve a better guy than him" Annie admitted.

"You do Lucy. Seriously. You deserve a guy that knows what he has when he's with you" Claire added.

Lucy smiled sheepishly. Finally she spoke. "I never realized how bad this really was. I knew he could be an ass, but I never thought he would stoop this low." She sighed and wiped any remaining tears from her face. "I'm sorry I stormed out of the living room. I just can't stand you guys fighting because of me."

"Luce, we love you. We can't stand to see you hurt" Claire said.

Annie nodded and leaned on Lucy's shoulder. The girls all embraced each other.

Claire spoke up again. "And I want you to remember, you are _always_ worth fighting for."

**A/N: Hope you all liked this chapter! I am going to try to get another chapter up this week! As always, reviews are always appreciated :)**


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Tuesday night had shown to be one of the most stressful nights Lucy had had in a while. Between overhearing Tyler talk to Ian about Sophia, and Chris airing their breakup over Twitter, making her look like the bad guy, she was in need of a night out.

Friday came quickly, and Lucy had plans to go out for drinks with Annie. Once she arrived home after work she got herself around for their night out. She was just putting the finishing touches on her makeup when Annie walked into her room.

"Almost ready?" Annie asked sweetly.

"Yup, just finishing up my makeup" she replied as she swiped her lashes with one last coat of mascara. She twisted the tube shut and threw it in her makeup bag. Turning around, she smiled up at Annie. "Okay. Ready."

The girls decided to go to the Chateau Marmont. After entering the building they found a small table near the bar. They ordered their drinks and began to talk about the events of their week.

"So how are you? I know you say you are better, but are you really? You can talk to me, Luce, you know that" Annie coaxed.

Lucy took a sip of her drink. "Well, this week has been hell for me, to say the least. Chris has burned his bridges, I don't really care what he has to say. Honestly, I am more worried about the whole Ian thing. I just don't want to make an ass out of myself if I ask about him and Sophia."

After the hurtful words Chris wrote about Lucy on Twitter, he followed it up with a long apology. Her friends and fans stood up for her and told Chris exactly what was on their minds, which caused him to feel guilty. He was hoping the public apology would help, but all it really did was piss Lucy off more.

"I understand. Chris keeps digging himself a deeper hole. He just needs to get rid of all social media. He would be doing himself a BIG favor" Annie said. She squeezed Lucy's hand, comforting her. "But I really think you need to talk to Ian. You deserve to know if he is seeing Sophia again."

"I know, but after everything I did to him? I just feel like it isn't fair for me to be upset if they did reconcile...but I can't help but be upset about it" Lucy said sadly.

"You are going to that birthday party tomorrow. And you are going to talk to him. No excuses" Annie said pointing at Lucy.

Lucy rolled her eyes and sighed. "Maybe. We'll see how I feel about it tomorrow."

The girls started their second round of drinks and made it out to the dance floor. They danced around for a few songs until they needed refills on their drinks. Their night continued on the pattern of drinks, dancing, then talking, until it was time to leave.

After finishing the last of their drinks, the girls stumbled out of the bar. Lucy walked slowly, grasping Annie's arm for support. They clambered into the car that was waiting for them and leaned against each other in the back seat. Although Lucy was completely wasted, she felt like she could think much clearer about what she really wanted.

Annie sat giggling loudly and wrapped her arms around Lucy's neck. "Are you excited for tomorrowwww?"

Lucy started to giggle and pushed Annie playfully. "Shut up!" She started to blush and continued to giggle uncontrollably.

"What? I know you are excited" She leaned over and put her lips to Lucy's ear. "And you guys are going to fuck!" she said in a singsong voice.

Lucy's mouth dropped open. She shrugged and began another giggling fit. Annie continued to tease Lucy until they arrived at their apartment.

Both girls stumbled into their home, kicking off their heels and climbed into Lucy's bed together. They talked about everything, although they would surely have trouble remembering in the morning. After some time, they both passed out.

The next morning was a rough one. Lucy rolled over slowly to see that Annie wasn't there. Luckily, she didn't feel sick, but she did have a headache. Rising out of bed slowly, she made her way to the kitchen. She brewed some coffee and took a couple Advil before returning to her room. She curled up in bed again, coaxing Jack to join her. Within minutes she was back to sleep.

2 hours later, Annie opened the door to Lucy's bedroom and jumped onto her bed. She bounced around until Lucy awoke from her slumber.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" Annie said laughing as she continued to bounce around on the bed.

"I'm awake..." Lucy said grumbling.

"How are you still in bed?! It's one in the afternoon!" Annie exclaimed.

"I had a headache so I fell back to sleep" Lucy said sitting up. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. "When did you get up?"

"I've been up since 9:30. I couldn't sleep this morning so I went on a hike with Drew. I was surprisingly not too hungover this morning!"

"I feel a lot better now, I felt shitty earlier this morning. I guess I should get up, though" Lucy said laughing.

"No kidding! C'mon! You have a big day ahead of you!" Annie teased.

Lucy sighed. She was hoping that Annie wouldn't bring it up. She wanted to go to Ian's party, but at the same time she didn't because she knew it could end badly. She sat on the bed staring at her hands and chewing on her lip. Finally she looked up at Annie. "Do you think it would be a good idea to go? I don't know, I just feel like maybe it would be a mistake to go. What if it ends badly..."

"Luce, you will regret it if you don't go. I know you will. If anything, I think you need to go to try to mend the friendship. You don't have to ask about Sophia at the party if you don't want to."

"I know. I'm just nervous I guess."

"Do you want me to go with you? Would that make you more comfortable?"

Lucy stood up and walked to the bathroom to start the shower. "Thanks for the offer Banan, but I think I should go alone. If I am going to fix everything, I need to do it by myself."

"I agree. I'm glad you decided to go though" Annie replied knowing she got her point through to her.

Annie left the room and Lucy got into the shower. 20 minutes passed and Lucy joined Annie in the living room wearing a towel as a mock dress. She sat on the couch looking as if she wanted to say something.

Annie looked to Lucy confused. "What's up?" she asked.

"I don't know. I'm just going back and forth about going to this tonight. I know that if I go, I am going to want to ask him about Sophia. I _know_ I will. I don't want to ruin his birthday party..."

Annie grabbed Lucy's shoulders and turned her to look directly in the eyes. "Lucy. You are going. I don't care what excuse you come up with. If you don't I am not going to listen to you cry over him anymore. You need to talk to him" Annie said firmly.

Lucy nodded, stood up, and went to her room to get dressed. Minutes later she returned wearing sweatpants and a tank top. She took her spot on the couch and looked at Annie. "You know it is going to take a lot of pep talking to get me out the door tonight, right?"

"I will tell you whatever I have to, to make sure you go to that damn party!" Annie said laughing.

The girls spent the afternoon lounging around and decided that they would go to dinner later in the day. Lucy would leave for Ian's party after dinner.

After an hour of being lazy and watching TV, Lucy figured she should decide on something to wear. She went to her room and began going through the many articles of clothing she owned. After several minutes she called for Annie to come help.

Annie walked in to find Lucy standing in her closet, eyebrows knitted together, sorting through the dresses in her closet. "Have you decided on anything yet?" Annie asked amused.

"No. I can't decide. I'm just so damn nervous and confused about this night. I don't have a clue what to wear. Am I going to this party as Ian's friend? Or am I going to this party to try to win him over? Because _that _will make a huge difference in my choice of outfit" Lucy said with her hand on her hip.

"Well, in my opinion, I think you should try to look hot, but not too over the top" Annie said grinning. She opened one of the drawers in Lucy's dresser and pulled out a fitted black and white patterned skirt, placing it on the bed. She went to her closet and scanned her shirts until she found a black see-through blouse. She threw the shirt on the bed and smiled and Lucy. "There. It's sexy, but not over the top. Make sure to wear your one black pushup bra with it and you are set."

Lucy smiled and hugged Annie. "I love you, you know that? Seriously, what would I do without you?" she said.

Lucy fished through her bras and found the infamous pushup bra Annie was referring to. She tossed it on the bed as she found panties to pair it with. She smiled and bit her lip when she found a tiny pair of lacy black boyshorts. She stripped herself of her sweatpants and tank and changed into the outfit she planned to wear for the party. Rummaging through her closet, she found a pair of simple black heels and slipped them on.

Lucy walked to the kitchen to show Annie the outfit she picked out. She blushed and started to giggle when she saw Annie's mouth hanging open in awe.

"Holy shit, Luce. If this doesn't make him want you, he is either crazy or gay. And looking like that would make a gay man go straight!" Annie said still awestruck.

Lucy went back to her room still giggling and finished primping. Finally, after an hour, she was ready to go out to dinner. She and Annie decided to drive separate since she would be going to Ian's after dinner and Annie planned on hanging out with Drew. They decided on a small bar and grille only a block away from Ian's new house.

Dinner seemed to go by quickly for Lucy. The whole time all she could think about was what she would say to Ian when she saw him. The last time she saw him off set, they hooked up. This thought would not leave her mind and Annie was insisting that it would most likely happen again since she apparently looked so irresistible. Before they left the restaurant Annie gave Lucy one last pep talk.

"Luce, you will have fun. I know it. Just do what feels right, if that means talking to him about Sophia, do it. If not, whatever, just have fun. You can call me if you need to, too."

"I know. I cannot believe I am doing this. I should get going though, it's already 8:30. Wish me luck!" Lucy said nervously.

She hugged Annie and walked out the door to her car. Once inside, Lucy took several deep breaths. This was it. She was about to go fight for what she wanted.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Okay, so this chapter is probably my new favorite. It's a long one, but Lucy and Ian FINALLY get a chance to talk, and much more. Hope you guys like it!**

Chapter 30

Lucy had arrived at Ian's house only minutes after leaving the restaurant. She parked down the street since there were cars everywhere. Obviously there was a good turn out since there were at least 10 cars in and around his driveway alone. She sat in her car nervously as she prepared to go inside. Lucy pulled her tube of red lipstick from her purse, and looking in the rearview mirror applied some generously to her lips. She took one last deep breath and exited her car.

As Lucy entered Ian's house, she was overwhelmed by the amount of people. She looked around trying to find someone familiar, but wasn't having much luck. She wandered into the kitchen and was greeted by an extremely happy Keegan.

"Shit Lucy I didn't think you were going to come!" Keegan said squeezing her in a hug. "You just missed him blowing out his candles! But whatever, c'mon lets do a shot!"

Lucy laughed at Keegan's enthusiasm as she followed him to the small table full of different types of alcohol. He filled two shot glasses full of tequila and gave Lucy a lemon, taking one for himself. She wrinkled her nose at him. "Tequila shots? Really? I haven't had anything to drink yet, and you are starting me with tequila?" she joked.

"Well, you are about to get on my level then" Keegan said laughing. "Ready?" he asked.

Lucy nodded and licked her hand to prepare it for the salt. Keegan sprinkled it on her hand and counted to three. At three, they both threw the alcohol back, licked the salt from their hands and bit into the lemons. Lucy grimaced and shuddered. She normally didn't do tequila shots unless she was already a few drinks in.

Keegan started laughing and handed her a plastic cup. "Here. Make yourself whatever you want now. Something fruity or whatever."

Lucy took the cup from Keegan and poured some rum into the bottom and filled the rest with Diet Coke. She began sipping on it as Keegan turned around to talk to some other people. Lucy wandered around looking for Ian, but couldn't find him anywhere. It didn't help that most of the lights were off. After a few minutes she ran into Tyler.

"Hey" she said, giving him a hug. "How are you?"

"I'm great. It's good to see you. I'm sure Ian loves that you showed up" Tyler said.

"Actually, I am looking for him. Do you know where he is?" she asked.

"The last I saw him, he was in the living room over by the couch" Tyler replied.

Lucy smiled and nodded as she walked into the living room. She finally found him sitting on the couch talking to someone who was unfamiliar to her.

She took a large gulp of her drink, hoping it would give her a boost of confidence and sauntered over to Ian. He didn't notice her at first, but as she got closer he looked at her. At first, he seemed to not recognize her, but after doing a double take a huge smile crossed Ian's lips.

Ian stood up and folded his arms around Lucy. "Luce, I was not expecting to see you here!" he said awestruck.

"How could I miss your birthday party? What kind of friend would do that?" she teased.

Ian laughed and introduced her to the friend he was initially talking to. They both settled on the couch and began to converse with the others around them. As Lucy sat there, the alcohol she had consumed began to take effect. She wasn't drunk, but she felt her confidence spike. After some considerable thought, she decided she needed to talk to Ian privately.

She touched his arm to get his attention. When he turned to her she leaned closer to talk into his ear. "Do you think we could talk? Maybe somewhere more private?"

Nervously, Ian stood up. "Um yeah, of course. We can, uh, we can go to the bedroom, it's probably a lot quieter in there."

Lucy nodded and followed Ian down the hall to his bedroom. He opened the door and led Lucy inside, closing the door behind her. She smiled sheepishly at him before speaking.

"Ian, I um, I have been wanting to talk to you" she started nervously.

"What's going on Luce?" Ian asked concerned.

"Look, I am really sorry. About everything. When Holly caught us I freaked out. I was really scared that if people found out about us, things would backfire. I guess I just did what I thought would keep you from getting hurt...but in the process I actually hurt you more-"

"Hey, it's fine. Don't worry about me" Ian interrupted.

"No. Please just listen to me" Lucy said as she perched herself at the end of the bed. "I never realized how much you loved me. I talked to Shay and she really made me realize how bad I screwed up. I'm done with Chris. I want you to know that. I don't expect you to ever want to be with me again, but I just want you to know that he is out of the picture. And I want you to know that I _never_ intended to hurt you" she continued. Tears were threatening her eyes. She looked away to keep from crying.

Ian noticed that she was becoming emotional. He grabbed her hands in his and squeezed them. "Luce, seriously, don't worry about me. I understand why you did what you did. I don't blame you. Thank you for apologizing, but you don't need to be sorry."

"But I do need to be sorry. Because I lost one of the most important things in my life."

"You didn't lose me, Luce. I'm right here."

"But I did." Lucy took a deep breath before speaking again. "I overheard Tyler talking to you about Sophia the other day. Look, I don't blame you. I screwed you over and I feel lucky that you are even talking to me. But it just kills me to know that I am the one who messed all of this up."

Ian's mouth hung open slightly at Lucy's confession. It was true, he and Sophia were talking again. He took a few seconds to decide what to say. "I'm not going to lie to you, I was hurt by how everything turned out, mostly because I thought things were going to work out this time. When they didn't, I decided to head home for the few weeks that I wasn't filming. It really helped me clear my head, but I also ran into Sophia while I was in New York. We are talking again. I don't know where we stand exactly, to be honest with you. We have discussed getting back together, but we aren't as of now. We're just trying to be in each other's lives again, I guess."

At Ian's confession, Lucy couldn't hold back the tears. She wiped away the couple stray tears that fell quickly and nodded. "I understand. I'm just so sorry. I cannot stand the fact that I hurt the only person who has been there for me the whole time...I just want you to be happy."

Ian leaned over and hugged Lucy tightly. "I am happy. I am happy that you are here, and that we are talking again. I don't think you understand how much that means to me." He pulled away from the embrace and looked Lucy in the eyes. "Lucy, I have so much I want to say to you right now, but it would take all night." He paused for a few seconds before speaking again. "Do you think you could stay after everyone leaves? We can talk more then. It's only a matter of time before people come looking for us, and I don't want to be interrupted."

Lucy nodded and smiled. She hugged Ian and followed him out of the room back to the party. Things had cleared out some, but there were still quite a few people there. She prepared another drink for herself and tried to converse with as many people as possible, glancing at Ian every chance she got.

Finally after a few hours the last few guests left. Lucy sat on the counter in the kitchen while Ian walked out the last two guests. She was feeling excited yet nervous to be alone with Ian. She didn't have much time to think, though, because seconds later Ian returned. He leaned his elbow onto the counter and looked up at Lucy. Her heart felt like it would pound out of her chest.

"So what are we going to do about all of this?" Ian asked amusement laced in his words.

Lucy stared into his deep blue eyes. If she had her way, she would just kiss him to tell him what she thought, but she knew that that wouldn't be the greatest idea. She shrugged slightly instead.

Ian looked at Lucy and smiled. He placed one hand on her knee which made Lucy's heart pound even harder. "You know what? I don't want to think about anything right now. All I know is that I have the girl I have been in love with for the past 3 years sitting in my house looking gorgeous as hell. And we are alone. Can we just talk about everything tomorrow? Can we just be _here_ tonight?" he asked.

As Lucy looked at Ian, she could see a pleading look in his eyes. She wanted to so badly forget about everything and just be there, but she knew if she did, it would hurt a hell of a lot worse in the morning.

"Ian, I want to. But what about Sophia?"

Ian moved directly in front of Lucy. He placed a hand on each of her knees this time and looked her in the eyes. "Lucy, Sophia and I are not together. We are talking, but that is it. I love you, and right now, I want nothing more than to just be in this moment, because I don't know if it will happen again."

Lucy put her hands around Ian's neck. Tears were starting to well up in her eyes as she began to speak. "I love you. I know I said it before, but Ian, I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my life. I'm not going anywhere-"

Ian interrupted Lucy by placing a gentle kiss on her lips. He pulled away slowly and pushed her hair away from her face as he stared into her beautiful hazel eyes. Lucy felt her breath hitch at the feeling of his lips. She stared into his eyes until he lowered his lips back down to hers. This time he added a little more pressure. She kissed him back tenderly. She was hesitant at first, but as he continued to kiss her she finally gave in. His hands went from her knees to around her waist, as he pulled her closer to him. She had her hands in his hair as they deepened the kiss.

They continued kissing, Lucy sitting on the counter, and Ian standing between her legs. Ian pulled Lucy as close to himself as he could and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He began to trace her bottom lip with his tongue, which Lucy eagerly allowed. Their tongues fought for dominance, Ian ultimately winning, until Lucy bit down lightly on his bottom lip. This caused Ian's breath to hitch and a smile to draw across his lips.

The new playfulness Lucy was showing caused Ian to grasp her thighs, lifting her from the counter. He carried her a few steps as they continued to kiss passionately, until they ran into one of the dining room chairs. Ian stumbled causing Lucy to almost fall to the floor. They both began laughing hysterically and Ian pulled Lucy up. She wrapped her arms around his neck, his arms around her waist. They had their foreheads pressed together and were still laughing.

"God, you are so beautiful, especially when you smile" Ian said.

Lucy ran a hand through Ian's soft curls. "I love you" she said emotion thick in her voice.

He placed a kiss to her lips and they continued where they left off. Ian walked Lucy backwards until they hit the wall behind her. He pushed his body flush against hers, one hand on the wall and the other wrapped tightly around her waist. Lucy could feel his arousal building against her hip.

Ian began to place wet kisses down Lucy's jawline and neck, paying extra attention to the spot below her ear and just inside her collarbone. From the last time they were together sexually, he learned these were the spots that turned her on the most. Tonight was no different.

Lucy wanted Ian more than anything. It was different than anytime before, though. This time it was much more emotional. The whole time he was kissing her and loving her she wanted to just hold him and never let go. She was feeling an overwhelming amount of love.

As Ian continued to suck on her skin, she threw her head back against the wall. He made his way back up her neck leaving butterfly kisses, until he made it back to her lips. As he touched her lips again, Lucy felt an undying need to be closer to him. She pressed her body firmly against his and pulled his head down to hers firmly. Ian picked Lucy's tiny legs up off the ground and she wrapped them back around his waist. Although they couldn't get much closer, Lucy felt that she still wasn't close enough. She began to kiss his neck as she started to unbutton his shirt. She got a few buttons undone and he began to walk them down the hall to his bedroom.

Ian opened the door quickly and kicked it shut behind him. He slowly lowered Lucy onto the bed and climbed on after her. She finished unbuttoning his shirt as she pushed it off his shoulders. She felt an overwhelming urge to cry, which Ian noticed. He placed a kiss on her lips and looked at her.

"Luce, are you okay? Talk to me" he coaxed quietly. He wiped away the one stray tear from her cheek.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry, I don't know why I am crying. I just, I've never felt like this before, it's overwhelming I guess" she said honestly.

Ian smiled and placed another gentle kiss on her lips. "I love you. You know that, right? I love you more than I can even tell you. And this...you...this is all I have wanted. I want you to know that. I will never hurt you, Lucy" he said as tears rimmed his own blue eyes.

Lucy kissed him gently. "I love you too, Ian." She kissed him again pulling his body against hers. He ran his hands over her body and began to unbutton her shirt. After each button, he placed a light kiss on the newly exposed skin. Once the shirt was completely unbuttoned, Lucy pulled her arms from the sleeves and pushed the shirt off the bed.

Ian's hands moved gently over the skin of her stomach and chest. He moved his hand to her face and caressed it gently. She opened her eyes as she put her hand over his. He kissed her forehead and looked at her, asking for permission to go further with his eyes. Lucy answered by unclasping her bra for him. He pulled the straps from her shoulders and cupped her breasts in his hands. She drew in a deep breath at the feeling of his hands. He began to kiss down her neck until he got to her chest. He kissed and sucked on each breast gently as her nipples hardened beneath his tongue. After several minutes he returned to her mouth. They kissed awhile longer until Lucy pulled away. She looked at him with hooded eyes as his forehead rested against hers. "Make love to me" she whispered.

Ian looked at Lucy, raw emotion in his eyes. He began kissing her as his hands wandered down to her hips. She unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his jeans. Before she could get his pants off, though, he leaned down out of her reach. He pulled her skirt off of her hips, leaving her in only the tiny black underwear. His eyes looked as if they would pop out of his head as he stared at the tiny figure beneath him. He shook his head and smiled. "God, I love you" he said breathlessly.

He left a trail of kisses from her breasts to her panty line, teasing her. Finally, he hooked his fingers into the sides of her panties and slid them down her legs. He sat up and kissed her on the lips again and started the trail of kisses back down her body. Goosebumps rose along her skin as he moved closer and closer to her center. He started to kiss along her thighs and spread her legs slightly. Finally giving her some relief he brought his hand up and touched her, feeling her arousal.

He smiled as she let out a moan. He began to spread her wetness by stroking her firmly. He lowered himself down more, looking up at her. Once he caught her attention, he smiled his boyish grin and lowered his mouth onto her. The sensation he created for her caused her arms to flail out and grasp at the sheets. He continued to kiss and suck her most sensitive spot, while his fingers also pleasured her. He felt her vaginal walls start to contract, so he knew she was close. She brought one hand to his hair and tugged at it as she shuddered through her first orgasm.

Ian kissed his way up her body and left a tender kiss on her lips. She took the opportunity to remove his jeans. She pushed them down to his knees, then kicked them the rest of the way off with her feet. They began kissing passionately again, his hands roaming her body. She trailed her hand down to his tented boxer briefs and began to run her fingers over him. He let out a breath into her mouth, showing how turned on he was. She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him over so that he was now laying against the mattress.

Once he was lying flat, Lucy removed his underwear carefully. He sprang free allowing her better access. She leaned up to kiss him while she began stroking him below. His breathing began to quicken, signaling Lucy to make her next move. She kissed his neck and chest, then down to his stomach, looking him into the eyes before placing her mouth over his member. She began to suck and lick him, all the while stroking him with her tiny hand.

Ian began to breathe even harder. "God, Lucy. Oh my God" he said in a breathy moan. He placed his hand on the side of her face letting her know that he couldn't take much more without coming. She lifted her mouth off of him and kissed him hard on the lips. He kissed her back before reaching over into the nightstand to retrieve a condom. Lucy took it from his hand and unrolled it onto his erect penis.

Ian coaxed Lucy down onto the bed as he propped himself up on his elbows above her. He lined himself up with her entrance and entered her slowly. They both moaned until he was buried inside her. He began to move slowly at first, his forehead resting on hers. He kissed her tenderly, as he whispered how much he loved her.

Ian's sentiments turned Lucy on more than she could have imagined. She began to breathe more rapidly as she started to raise her hips to meet his. Ian began to pick up the pace, as he could tell Lucy was getting close. He kissed her lovingly as she pulled his face closer to hers. Ian could feel Lucy begin to arch her back, pushing her body as close to his as possible. He opened his eyes and watched as she squeezed her eyes shut and moaned out his name as she spiraled into an orgasm. He continued to thrust, his own orgasm close, especially after watching Lucy. She touched his face tenderly and began to breathe raggedly into his ear. She felt another orgasm coming on as she watched him eagerly trying to please her. She began to suck on his earlobe, which she knew he loved. As she became seconds from the brink of her 3rd orgasm of the night, she ran her nails down his back, which in turn was enough to cause him to finish. They came at the same time resulting in a sweaty pile of limbs. Ian collapsed exhausted, trying not to put his weight on Lucy. A smile formed across her face and she kissed his forehead while she ran her fingers through his hair.

After a few minutes, Ian pulled himself from Lucy, discarding the condom. He kissed her tenderly. "I love you, Lucy Hale. I love you so damn much."


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Lucy looked up at Ian, still coming down from the high of the amazing sex they just had. The words he spoke to her caused her emotions to run haywire. She couldn't help it. For the first time, she felt as if she were the vulnerable one. She usually was the one who had an ex boyfriend that she was confused over or another guy she sort of had feelings for, but this time she only loved Ian.

She looked away trying as hard as she could to keep Ian from seeing the tears brimming her eyes. But of course, Ian caught on right away.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked slightly paranoid. "Did I do something?"

Lucy blinked rapidly trying to dry her tears. "I'm fine. I'm sorry, I don't know what is wrong with me. It was nothing you did."

"Then why are you crying?" He asked. He cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. "Hey, look at me. Lucy, what's going on?"

She wasn't sure how to say what she was feeling, because if she was being honest, she wasn't sure. She knew she felt vulnerable, and she felt guilty knowing that this might of been how Ian felt the last time they had sex.

"I don't even know what I am feeling, or else I would tell you. I just...what if something happens and this is the last time we are together, like this. I mean, look what happened last time. Ian, if how I feel right now is even a fraction of what you felt, I don't know, it just kills me" Lucy stuttered.

"Wait, what are you talking about? What makes you think this can't happen again? It can happen if we want it to happen" Ian said confused.

"I know, but what if it doesn't...I have fallen for you, Ian. Like, really fallen. This is the first time I have ever focused solely on my feelings for you and to be honest, it's overwhelming."

Ian wrapped his arms tightly around Lucy's naked body and kissed the top of her head. She buried her face in his chest, inhaling his scent. She had never felt so safe, or so loved. They laid there in silence for several minutes until finally Ian spoke.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked quietly.

Lucy looked up and found Ian's eyes. "Of course. You know you can ask me anything."

"How do you feel right now?" he asked carefully.

Lucy huffed a little, taken aback from the simplicity of the question, but the complexity of the answer. "I feel amazing. I feel loved, safe. I feel better than I have ever felt before in my life" she said as she continued to look into Ian's eyes.

He smiled slightly and kissed her forehead. "Then why can't we just be here tonight? Let's not think about tomorrow, or next week, or month for that matter. We're here now. We are both happy and we know we love each other. I just want to worry about loving you tonight. I want to hold you and kiss you and tell you exactly how I feel about you. Because like you said, Luce, we don't know what tomorrow will be like. So let's deal with tomorrow, tomorrow."

Lucy looked at Ian, stunned by his beautiful words. She felt as if her heart was going to explode out of her chest and the butterflies in her stomach made her want to puke in a good way. He said the words she wished she could say and she was happy that, at least for tonight, Ian was hers. Overcome with raw emotion she met his mouth with hers. He kissed her back with a little more force until they were breathless.

Ian pulled away needing air and took a deep breath. He kissed Lucy tenderly on the top of the head and pulled her in close. Lucy rested her head on Ian's chest, running her hands through the hair on his chest as Ian ran his hand up and down Lucy's bare back. After the highly emotional day, they were both exhausted and were overcome with sleep within minutes.

As the sun was just coming up the next morning, Lucy stirred and opened her eyes, slightly surprised that she was cuddled up next to such a beautiful man. She smiled as she thought of their conversation the night before. She was happier than she had ever been. Although she didn't know where they stood exactly, she knew that he was head over heels for her and she the same for him.

As she lay awake, she studied Ian as he slept. He was beautiful while he was awake, but as Lucy watched him sleep, she noticed how gorgeous and peaceful he looked. His hair was a curly mess, but it looked perfect. She studied his face, his eyelashes curling right above his cheek, his perfect lips, parted slightly. She noticed the rise and fall of his chest and how his abs showed in a subtle way. Watching him sleep made her ache for him. She needed him, and although it was only a little past 6 am, she needed him now.

Lucy kissed Ian's chest lightly. She moved from the left side where she was previously laying and began peppering kisses across his chest, up and towards the center. She noticed him begin to stir as she started to move up his neck. All of a sudden an unconscious smile started to form across his lips. She smiled a huge smile as she tried not to laugh and continued to kiss and suck on his neck. She worked her way up his jawline until she made it to his lips. She kissed him gently on the lips once before she noticed that although he was still asleep, he was obviously very turned on. She laughed to herself as she looked down at his hardening member and planted another gentle kiss on his lips. This time when he stirred he opened his eyes slowly, finally waking from his slumber. When he noticed Lucy lying almost directly on top of him a huge smile took over his face.

"Well, good morning" he said amused. "I could definitely get used to this."

Lucy kissed him a little more firmly on the lips. "Me too. I'm glad you finally decided to wake up. Something _else_ was awake before you" she said giggling as she looked down at his growing manhood.

Ian looked down and blushed lightly. "Yeah, sorry I was having a dream...a really damn good one too" he said laughing.

"That wasn't a dream" she said laughing at him.

"Are you serious? No, I was having a dream. Shit, what did you do to me?" he asked awestruck and also very turned on.

"Well...I did this" Lucy said as she started to kiss his chest. "And then I did this" she said as she moved up to his neck. She began to suck gently.

Ian growled low in his throat. He couldn't believe that this girl could turn him on in his sleep, even! "Damn" was all he could manage.

"I just woke up and saw you there, and you just looked so good. Sorry, I couldn't help myself" Lucy said seductively.

Ian leaned up and kissed her hard on the lips. Lucy responded in the same way and tangled her hands into his hair as he flipped her over so she was now laying on bottom. He began kissing her neck as his fingers moved deftly to her core. Slowly he inserted one, then two fingers. He pumped in and out until Lucy was begging for more. He inserted a third finger and within seconds, Lucy convulsed against his hand.

Once she was able to move after the first orgasm, Lucy began to pump her hands up and down Ian. He was breathing raggedly and began to shake as he tried to hold himself above her. She pushed him down and moved down to pleasure him more. She placed her mouth over the tip of his penis and began to suck on it. She then began to move her mouth steadily over him as her hands helped. Ian pulled her off of him quickly as he reached for a condom from the nightstand. He slipped it on as fast as he could and Lucy lowered herself onto him slowly. Once he was all the way in, he placed his hands on her hips for support as she slid up and down. She started out slowly but within only minutes Ian was thrusting up into her as he cupped her breasts.

Lucy noticed Ian's face and realized he was almost there. To bring him to the brink she pulled him all the way out of her and slowly eased back onto him. She did this several times until he couldn't take it anymore. He pounded back into her a few more times as they both fell into a mind blowing orgasm.

Lucy collapsed next to Ian as she kissed his jaw and his cheek. He quickly disposed of the condom and pulled Lucy's bare back to his chest. They were in the spooning position which Lucy loved. She sighed in contentment as a smile played across her face.

Ian noticed this and smiled himself. "What are you thinking?" he asked her.

"I'm just thinking about how happy I am" she said.

"I'm happy too. I love you, Lucy" he added.

"I love you too, Ian" she said sweetly.

A few minutes later they drifted back to sleep.

Two hours had passed and Ian woke up due to the blaring sun. He tried not to wake Lucy up, but when he moved his arm she woke.

"Good morning, sunshine" he said cheerfully.

"Good morning, handsome" she said back.

"So we have about 3 hours until the ustream. How about I make us breakfast" he said.

"Breakfast sounds amazing right now" Lucy responded.

Ian kissed her on the cheek and rolled out of bed. He stepped into the boxer briefs that were lying on the floor and walked out to the kitchen. Lucy rolled over onto her back and stretched. She was thrilled with how everything went last night, but she dreaded the talk they would likely have over breakfast. They needed to figure out where they stood. She rolled out of bed slowly and pulled on her lacy panties and pushup bra and padded out to the kitchen.

Lucy smiled when she found Ian singing softly as he was mixing something in a bowl. She snuck up behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso causing him to jump.

"Shit Luce, I didn't know you were out here" he said embarrassed.

"Don't be embarrassed, I listen to you sing on set all the time. This isn't much different."

"Actually, this is a lot different. We're only in our underwear, post sex, and I am making french toast" he chuckled.

Lucy giggled at his remark and she hopped up and sat on the counter to watch him cook.

"Would you like some help?" she asked politely.

"I'll let you set the table, but I'm cooking for you" he said kissing her.

"Fine" she responded. She opened the cupboard and pulled out two plates. She grabbed silverware from the drawer and then the orange juice, butter and syrup from the fridge. Once she had everything set, Ian was done.

They both sat down and began eating in silence. After several minutes Lucy spoke up.

"So should we try to figure out where we stand? I mean, I love where we are as of now, but when we're not together what are we going to tell people?"

"We can be whatever you want to be, Luce. You know how I feel about you" Ian said simply.

Lucy sighed. She had one reservation about being with him. Sophia.

She cleared her throat nervously. "Okay, but I have one question. And I want you to answer as honestly as you can."

Ian looked at her confused. "Okay..."

"Do you have feelings for Sophia still? I won't be mad, I understand if you do, but I just...I don't know. I feel like I really need to know."

Ian sighed and put his fork down. He turned and looked Lucy in the eyes. "Look Luce, Sophia and I have been on and off for the past 2 years and we have known each other longer than that. I will always love Sophia, but I don't know if I could ever love her like I love you. I feel as if every time I have been with Sophia, either it didn't work out because of conflicting schedules or because I couldn't stop thinking of you" Ian said honestly.

Lucy nodded slowly. She didn't feel quite so hungry anymore. She had a feeling that he still loved Sophia, but it was a totally different story when she heard it coming from his mouth. She got up and took care of her dirty dishes without saying a word.

Ian sighed and got up after her. "Luce, hey. I'm sorry. Like I said, I don't think I could ever love Sophia like I do you. I don't know. You are something special and I am in love with you. But you have to understand where I am coming from..." he pleaded.

"I know. I don't blame you. But I don't know if I could date you right now if you still had feelings for someone else. And the thing is, Sophia is actually a really great person. I hate saying that because she has the heart of the man I love, but I can't deny that she is a sweet girl. Ian, I love you more than anything else in the world, but I don't know if I could live with myself knowing that not only do you have feelings for another girl, but that that other girl is as sweet as Sophia and that she would have her heart shattered. I don't want to be the cause of that" Lucy said as she looked at Ian.

Ian looked as if he was about to cry. He ran a hand through his hair. "Lucy, I love you. I love you so much it hurts. I wish we could go back to 6 weeks ago because I was completely over Sophia at that point, and then she came back into my life. If getting to be with you means not talking to Sophia anymore, I'll do it. Please, just please don't tell me we are going to go back to how we were."

Lucy stepped forward and cupped Ian's face in her hands. "We will never be like that again, I promise. I won't ever hurt you like that again, and I won't put myself through that. But I also don't know if I can date you right now knowing that there are unresolved feelings for another girl. I'm sorry. And I am not going to let you stop talking to her for me, that would be like mine and Chris's relationship and we know how that goes."

Ian nodded in defeat. He cleared his throat and spoke shakily. "So is this ever going to work out?"

"How about this. I want you to figure out where you and Sophia stand. If you guys end up together great, but if not that is great too. I want to give you that opportunity though. Because Ian, here's the thing. Once we date, if we date, I don't think there will be anyone else after you. I love you that much. I want you to feel the same though." Lucy grabbed Ian's hands gently. "How does that saying go? If you love something, set it free. If it doesn't come back it was never meant to be. If it does, it is yours to love forever. I think this applies to us" she said steadily.

Ian smiled slightly. "Yeah, I guess. But I just don't want to lose you in the process of all of this."

"Hey, do you think this is easy for me? It's not. I have finally come to terms with the fact that I have been in love with you for over 3 years. Do you think I am going to give up after all of this? I will be here waiting if you decide this is what you want. Because I want you" Lucy said, her strong exterior starting to break.

Ian pulled Lucy into a strong hug and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Lucy. I don't want to give this up. But I don't want you to feel like you are not good enough either. I will figure things out with Sophia. I don't want to hurt you and I know how it feels to have another person in the picture. So I will try to figure things out. Not just because I want to, but because I have to."

After finishing their talk they decided they would try to stick to being friends until Ian figured out where he stood with Sophia. Although it was a hard decision for both of them, it was a necessary one. Lucy got dressed and drove home to get herself around for the upcoming ustream. She didn't want to make it obvious that she stayed the night, so a new change of clothes was a must. Within 2 hours, she was back at Ian's.

**A/N: Okay, so I'm sure you guys are probably disappointed right now with how things are going, especially after Chapter 30! But here's the thing, I am trying to make this story as true to real events as possible, and we know that Ian and Sophia were together on Oct. 2. We also know that Sophia is an important person in Ian's life, and I felt that I needed to address this. But this story is far from over! I promise pure happiness in a few chapters :) Please just stick with me!**


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Lucy stood on Ian's doorstep, not quite sure if she should knock or just walk in. After the talk they had this morning, she felt a bit awkward. She decided to knock, to be safe. She heard the footfalls of Ian's steps as he walked to the door. As he opened it, he looked at Lucy with a confused look across his face.

"Hey, I thought you were Julian. I figured you would just come in" he said smiling awkwardly.

Lucy entered the house slowly. "Yeah...I didn't want to surprise you by just coming in though" she responded.

"Well, next time you can just come on in" he said laughing.

Lucy nodded and sat on the couch while Ian went into the kitchen. She laughed a little when she saw that he was putting laundry in the washer. The image of him doing laundry at all made her giggle, but the fact that he was doing laundry in the kitchen made it funnier. When Ian returned to the living room, he noticed Lucy giggling.

"What's so funny?" he asked smiling.

"Oh nothing, I am just laughing at the fact that you are doing laundry in your kitchen" she replied smiling back at him.

Ian chuckled. "Well I haven't had the laundry room painted yet so my washer and dryer are in the kitchen for the time being" he answered.

Ian sat down to the right of Lucy and pulled his laptop off of the coffee table. He opened it and logged onto . He looked at the time and found that it was 12:10. They had about 20 minutes until they needed to be on. Just as he was getting everything set up there was a knock at the door.

"That has to be Julian" Ian said as he rose to get the door.

Upon opening the door was the attractive British man. He entered the house and was surprised to see that Lucy beat him there.

"Man I thought I was early. How long have you been here, Lucy?" he asked.

"Oh I just got here a few minutes ago. I figured I would come early to make sure Ian had everything under control. You know, since he is not very technologically savvy" she teased.

Julian chuckled as Ian gave Lucy a look.

"I am not _that_ bad" he said trying to act serious. After a few seconds a hint of a smile worked its way across his face until he started laughing.

For the next 15 minutes, they all talked aimlessly. They made the decision that they would keep Julian a surprise, and not bring him into the ustream until at least a few minutes in. When they had 5 minutes left to spare, Ian went to the kitchen and brought out three glasses of water and settled on the couch next to Lucy. Ian logged himself into his new ustream account and pushed the laptop towards the back of the coffee table so that they were both in the screen. "Ready?" he asked Lucy with a smile.

"Ready."

Ian started the ustream. For the first couple of minutes the two of them made sure that they were on air and could be heard. Ian explained to the fans that he moved into a new house and that was the reason it seemed so bare. Not thinking, Lucy picked up the computer to show everyone Ian's new house, forgetting that Julian was sitting on her other side. They all started laughing when she realized that she blew their secret.

After introducing Julian into the ustream, Ian began to talk about his mom and the Lupus foundation, while Lucy and Julian listened. Lucy's heart fluttered at the thought of Ian talking about his mom. She loved that he was so close to his mother, but she admired him even more since he was trying to raise money to potentially save her life.

As Ian continued to talk about his mom, Lucy couldn't help but stare at him. He was so excited and dedicated to this cause and watching him talk about it was one of the most adorable things she had ever seen. Finally, after telling his story, he decided to draw the names of the T-shirt winners.

Ian brought a salad spinner into view as he was going to pick a name. Before he could reach into the spinner, Lucy took it from his hands. She smiled at him as she shook it around to mix up the names. Ian looked up at Lucy and laughed to himself. She was a shameless flirt, and he was drawn right to her. She lowered the bowl to him and he picked the first two names.

Just as they were finishing with the drawing, Julian brought the remains of the birthday cake Ian made to the living room. Lucy picked it up and placed it in her lap and all three took a huge forkful. They toasted to Ian's birthday and placed the bites in their mouths. Lucy didn't get a chance to taste the cake Ian made on his birthday, and she was surprised at how amazing it was.

"Holyyyy shit, this is amazing" she said not thinking. She gasped a little as she realized what she said.

Ian and Julian began laughing at her comment. Lucy licked her fork clean and tapped it on Ian's face to get his attention. He looked to her and they smiled subtly at each other.

After explaining the reason for the ustream and tasting the cake, the three of them began shout outs to the fans. After seeing someone from Prague, Julian claimed he had a story to tell. He told of the time he went to Prague and drank Absinth. He had never been so drunk in his life, and listening to his story helped both Lucy and Ian relax a bit.

Julian explained that he had a few questions lined up for them. Looking at each other, Lucy and Ian nodded in agreement. They would be lying if they said they weren't nervous for the questions. He slid down from the couch onto the floor and Ian followed suit. Looking at both of them, Julian smiled as he started his string of questions. "Alright, so the three of us met in Vancouver in the pilot, and a lot has happened since then" he began. They all chuckled softly. "How has life changed for you both?"

Ian and Lucy looked at each other as Lucy spoke up. "I guess just scheduling. I'm just a lot busier."

Ian nodded in agreement. "Yeah, yeah same thing. And getting recognized" he said.

They all laughed as they agreed with Ian's comment. Julian sat back onto the couch as they went on to talk about the success of the show. Then suddenly Lucy had a story to tell.

"Ooh, ooh, I have a story from when I met Ian!" she began with a smile. "So I probably read with at least 15 Ezra's and every guy that came in, I was just like ugh no." Ian stared at her intently and began laughing. Lucy looked back to him and continued her story. "So he walks in and I remember he was wearing like a green sweater vest-"

"It was like a _Christmas_ sweater vest, it was the most teacherly thing I owned!" Ian interrupted.

They all began laughing again.

"And, that was it. I knew. I _knew_ when you walked in, you were it. I was like yup. That's it. You are the Ezra" Lucy finished as she looked into Ian's eyes.

Ian smiled back at Lucy. "And you know why..." Ian began.

"Yeah, it was like you had this boyish charm and all the other guys were creepy! They were great actors, they were just not...they didn't have that _thing_" Lucy added.

"Well my side of this story is that I had never even met Lucy before and I don't think I even had internet in my apartment at that time so I got the script in a hard copy. So I just went in to the audition" he said. He looked directly at Lucy and smiled sincerely. "And Lucy, actually looked, and she still does look like my first love from high school. So the whole chemistry thing was because I was so open to you automatically."

Lucy's eyes opened wider and Julian sat up on the couch becoming interested in where the conversation was going. Ian looked up to Lucy smiling and they gave each other a friendly high five. Julian noticed and smiled wider.

"Speaking of first loves and the chemistry", he began, "can I ask what the first kiss between you two was like?" He sat back and looked at the camera giving it a knowing smile.

Lucy looked to Ian once again as she spoke. "Oh my God, I was so nervous! It wasn't my first onscreen kiss but as you all know it started out on the bathroom counter and we started out pretty timid. But I remember our director would like pop in and be like 'No! Use more tongue!'"

"Yeah, like really go for it!" Ian added. "And I was extremely nervous because this was my first on screen kiss."

"Yeah. And it is weird, it's sort of strange. Because, like, we didn't really _know _each other" Lucy said.

"I mean we were talking, but that's about it. And I was like flossing like crazy!" Ian said excitedly.

"Well, I think it turned out pretty good!" Lucy said.

"I think it turned out awesome!" Ian exclaimed.

Laughter ensued again. The three of them talked about some of the risks the show took with Wren smoking, Emily's storyline, and Aria and Ezra's risque relationship. After some time, they changed the subject to Lucy's album.

She sat on the couch bouncing around as she gushed over her album. She explained to the guys that it was a country album, which she was ecstatic about. As she was talking about it, Ian excused himself to transfer his laundry from the washer to the dryer. Lucy giggled again thinking of her previous comment about Ian doing laundry in the kitchen.

When he returned, they began to give more shout outs until finally Lucy spoke up about a few comments running across the screen.

"Everyone keeps telling me to close my legs and to pull my shirt up" she said to Ian quietly. "That's a little rude" she said trying to laugh it off.

Ian laughed but his face did not show an ounce of humor. He looked to be hiding anger. Suddenly he turned to the camera and told the fans that they would have to end the ustream very soon, since they all had plans for the day. They all said goodbye to as many fans as possible and finally logged off.

At that, Julian stood up from the couch and went to the kitchen to place his glass in the sink. He returned to the living room and thanked Ian and Lucy for letting him in on their ustream. He hugged them both and Ian walked with him to the door.

Lucy looked down to her lap and pulled her skirt down as much as she could while crossing her legs. She didn't want to admit it, but the comments that people were leaving did make her feel insecure. She couldn't help but wonder if some of them were Chris's fans.

As Ian closed the door behind Julian he turned around and noticed Lucy looked a little upset. He went to the couch and sat next to her wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"Hey. Are you upset about the comments?" Ian asked softly.

"I don't know why it bothers me. I just feel like it might have been some of Chris's fans. But why do I care so much?" she said sadly. She looked up at Ian.

He pushed her hair back slightly and pulled her face gently to look him in the eyes. "Lucy, you are beautiful. I hope you know that. I'm sure you hear it all the time, but I want you to believe it. If it is indeed Chris's fans, they are only trying to make you feel bad. But I know as well as you do that it is not a bit your fault."

Lucy felt the tears pricking her eyes as she found the sincerity in Ian's. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist. They sat on the couch holding each other for what seemed like an eternity. After Lucy was able to contain her emotions she pulled away from Ian slowly. She could see sadness in his eyes as well.

"What are you thinking?" she asked quietly. Ian sighed and looked away from Lucy's eyes. She placed her fingers under his chin and lifted his face gently. "Ian. Look at me. You know you can tell me" she pleaded.

Ian swallowed hard. "Luce, I just, I don't know. The talk we had this morning has been on my mind and I can't say I agree with it. I know I said I still have residual feelings for Sophia but she isn't you. I just feel like if I explore my options, I will lose you in the process. I don't want to lose you, I can't. Not after this last time. I swore I lost you for good" he said. His eyes were now brimming with tears as well.

"Ian, you will never lose me. I promise. But you have to see where I am coming from. I love you so much it hurts. But knowing that you still have feelings for another girl makes me uneasy. What happens if you decide that she is a better person for you? I don't think I could take that. I just want you to take the time to make sure that _this_ is what you want. Because you might decide you want Sophia. But it is only fair for me to give you time to make that decision."

He ran his hands through his hair. "But what if in that time you find someone else? Then what? We both end up heartbroken."

Lucy took Ian's hands in hers. "I don't want anyone else. I only want you."

Ian nodded in defeat. He knew that he couldn't say anything to change her mind unless he said he had no feelings whatsoever for Sophia, but then he would be lying.

Lucy looked at her phone and realized the time. "I'm sorry, Ian, I have to get going. Annie and I are going to see a movie this afternoon. You can join if you'd like."

"Nah, I have some stuff to do around here. I still need to unpack and I should probably finish cleaning up from last night" he said apologetically.

"Okay. Well thank you so much for everything. Really. And I don't want to stop talking just because we aren't together at the moment" Lucy said as she looked at Ian. He seemed to really be taking their decision hard, which only made it harder on Lucy.

Ian walked Lucy to the door, not sure how to say goodbye. Before he could figure it out, Lucy wrapped her arms around Ian's waist and squeezed him. He reciprocated awkwardly. As she pulled away she reached up and kissed Ian on the cheek and smiled sadly. "Bye Ian. Thank you."

She walked down the driveway to her car, and Ian watched the girl of his dreams drive away.

**A/N: I know, I know! It was a sad chapter, but I promise you it will start to look up from here! Some of you were confused about the picture I was talking about of Sophia and Ian. A fan posted it to twitter and said that it was taken on Oct. 2. It is a picture of Ian and Sophia's backs and he has his arm around her. She has very short hair and blue sweatpants on. The next few chapters will speed up in time since I don't want to focus too much on Sophia, but I did want to acknowledge her. I promise by chapter 35 things will be much more positive :) **

**Also, I am trying to decide how to end this story. I am not sure if I should end it when they officially decide to be together, or if I should continue into the future aka possible marriage, kids, and all that. Let me know what you think!**


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: First of all, thank you all so much for the reviews! I appreciate all the positive feedback even though Lucy and Ian aren't quite together yet, I know it is somewhat frustrating. This chapter is sort of a filler chapter, there isn't much that adds to the plot, but I felt that it was necessary to have between Chapter 32 and 34. I also wanted to say thank you for the feedback about what you wanted for the future of this story. It looks like it will be a VERY LONG story haha. Every single reviewer I received feedback from wants to see a marriage and kids! That will most likely bring this story to at least 50 chapters! But I am definitely up for the challenge! **

**Again, this chapter is a filler, but it is about to get good soon! Enjoy!**

Chapter 33

Lucy opened the door to her apartment as she tried to wipe away the tears she cried on her way home. She was overly emotional due to the week she had had, but mostly from the night before. As she went to put her purse and shoes in her room, Annie noticed her sad demeanor.

"Hey pretty girl, are you okay?" Annie asked cautiously.

"Yeah, I'm fine" Lucy responded, trying to sound convincing.

"You don't sound fine. What happened?" Annie asked following Lucy to her bedroom.

Lucy plopped down on the bed and began to pick at the nail polish on her thumb nail. "I don't know, Banan. Ian and I talked about everything last night, well and this morning. But last night was the most perfect night of my life. Don't make fun of what I am about to say, okay?"

Annie nodded confused.

"You know Ian and I have had a thing for each other for a really long time now, but since I have been done with Chris, the sexual tension has been so strong. It got so bad that looking at him at the table read turned me on to the point that I could have taken him into the bathroom right then and there. But last night...last night was unlike any other night. The last time I was with Ian, it was just sex. This time, we made love. I know that sounds corny but I know the difference now. It was as if it was our last time we would ever be together. I can't even begin to describe the feeling" Lucy said with an unknown expression on her face. Annie couldn't decide if she was more happy or more sad.

"So why are you crying?" Annie asked still confused.

Lucy took a deep breath and began to speak again. "Well I asked him about Sophia last night, but we were so caught up with each other that we didn't really talk about it until this morning. Banan, he still has feelings for her. He said that he is in love with me, but he was sure we were over and he ran into Sophia. They have been keeping in touch. They aren't together or anything, but he thinks that she is assuming that is what will happen."

"You're kidding me. Drop his ass, Lucy. He obviously doesn't know a good thing when he sees it if he is choosing Sophia over you-"

"Annie. Stop" Lucy said angrily. "He didn't choose Sophia. He wants to be with me, but I told him that I thought he needed time to be sure of it. I can't be with him right now if he has feelings for her too. Not only that, but Sophia is a really nice person. I hate saying that because she made the guy that I am in love with fall for her, but she is really sweet. I think she deserves to have time to process not being with Ian, if he chooses that, without me barging in. That would kill me, and I wouldn't wish it upon someone as sweet as her."

Annie shook her head. "I don't know, Lucy. I sometimes think you are wasting your time with him. It is never the right timing. Will it ever be?"

"If you are going to criticize it, I am not going to talk about it. I've never loved someone like I love Ian, and if it is going to take only a few weeks for him to decide what is best for him, I am willing to wait for him. He waited for me all of this time" Lucy said definitively.

"Okay, okay. It's your love life. I'll stop. But what are you going to do then? Just wait around for him to decide who he wants to be with? That doesn't exactly seem fair" Annie stated.

"Well I don't want to be with anybody else, so I guess yeah, I will just 'wait around'" Lucy answered, obviously getting annoyed.

"Alright. It's your decision. I'm sorry, Luce. I just don't want to see you get screwed over" Annie added apologetically.

"I understand, but Ian isn't going to screw me over. I know him."

Annie nodded. "So what time should we go see 'Perks of Being a Wallflower'?" she said trying to change the subject.

"Let me fix my makeup and we can go" Lucy responded. She went to her bathroom to retrieve her makeup bag and returned to her vanity in her room. After applying a new coat of mascara and some powder to her face, she was ready to go.

* * *

The girls decided to go to the movie first and then to get dinner afterwards. The theater was surprisingly not busy, so the girls were able to get to their seats right away. They each bought a water and a bucket of popcorn to share and made their way to Theater 3.

Finding seats in the back, Lucy and Annie sat down and made themselves comfortable. They sat chatting for a few minutes until the previews started. After every one they looked at each other saying either 'ohhh we have to see that!' or 'eh that doesn't look all that great' until finally the movie started. During the movie both of the girls were quiet except for the occasional 'aww' or look to each other expressing their emotion of the current scene.

After the movie finished the girls walked out of the dark theater not saying much until they reached the car. As the girls were buckling their seat belts Annie noticed that Lucy seemed to be deep in thought.

"So? Did you love it as much as I did?" Annie asked trying to pull Lucy from her thoughts.

"I loved it...like more than I thought I would. I just really loved the message it gave" Lucy responded looking over at Annie.

"Yeah? What one? There were a few different messages I found..." Annie said trying to figure out what Lucy was thinking about.

"How we accept the love we think we deserve. I guess that really got to me because it is _so _true. We do. I have always been self conscious and have always settled. Maybe I do it because I thought that was the best I could get. Maybe that is why I never really went for Ian, because subconsciously I knew he was too good for me" Lucy said seriously.

"What? Ian is not too good for you, Luce! I don't know where you are getting that! You are such a great person and anyone would be lucky to have you!"

"But he is too good for me. Over the past 3 years he has been there for me no matter what. He hasn't betrayed me once. Yet I have dated more than one guy, knowing that he had feelings for me and both guys broke my heart. Ian has never broken my heart, he has done nothing but good for me" Lucy said looking down at her lap.

As Annie was driving she looked over at Lucy and rubbed her hand up and down Lucy's arm comfortingly. "But that is why you are trying to make things work now. Just please don't ever think anyone is too good for you, Luce. You are amazing! Ask Ian, I'm sure he'd agree" she said giggling.

Lucy gave Annie a look as a blush crept up into her cheeks. She was trying not to laugh, but she couldn't help it.

Within a few minutes they arrived at a small grille just a few minutes from the theater. Because it was only a little after 5, there weren't many people in the restaurant yet. After entering the restaurant, they were seated by the hostess at a booth. The girls made themselves comfortable and ordered their drinks. After the drinks were delivered, they ordered their food and began to talk.

"So what do you think is going to happen?" Annie asked Lucy cautiously.

Lucy shrugged as she took a sip of her wine. "I really have no idea. Ian says that he loves Sophia but he is _in_ love with me. I want to think he would choose me, I really hope he does. But I also know that he has been close with Sophia for a really long time and he doesn't want to break her heart. That is why I told him to take some time to think it over because I don't want to start dating and then have him wonder what could've happened with her. I want him to want me, and only me."

"Well if he is smart, he will choose you. I hate that things have to be so confusing. I just want you to have the guy and be happy. I know how much Ian means to you, and although he pisses me off sometimes, I am going to do anything to support you." Annie squeezed Lucy's hand. "Do you know when he was going to talk to Sophia?"

"I have no idea. She is in New York again and I'm going to assume he will wait 'til she's back to talk to her in person. I will see him tomorrow at the table read so I am sure he will fill me in" Lucy answered. "And thank you, for the support I mean. I know that you have mixed feelings about Ian, but it means a lot that you are willing to try to be supportive of us."

Annie smiled. "Of course, Luce. I love you and if he makes you happy then I guess that is who I want to see you with. But just so you know, if he hurts you, I will chop off his balls."

Lucy fell into a fit of laughter. After regaining her composure she finally spoke. "Oh my God, Banan! You are terrible! But I will make sure to let him know, assuming we do get together!" She began laughing again.

The waitress came by to drop off their dinner and the girls thanked her as they continued to laugh. After finishing their meal, they paid and went back to the apartment.

Once they arrived back to the apartment, the girls changed into their pajamas and curled up on the couch with Jack nestled in between them. While they were surfing through the channels they found that 'Forrest Gump' was playing.

"Hey! Forrest Gump is on! We have to watch it!" Lucy exclaimed.

Annie looked at Lucy, amused, and put the movie on. She shook her head in amusement.

"What? It's my favorite movie!" Lucy said laughing. Suddenly Lucy seemed to get an idea and hopped off the couch quickly and ran to the kitchen. "Give me a sec, I'm going to make some popcorn!"

Annie started giggling at Lucy from the couch. A few minutes later Lucy returned carrying a large bowl of popcorn. She curled up in her previous spot on the couch and placed the bowl between herself and Annie. She picked Jack up and placed him in her lap and fed him a piece of popcorn.

The girls munched on popcorn and continued to watch the movie. Once it was over, Lucy looked over to find Annie snoring lightly with her head rested against the back cushion of the couch.

Lucy took the empty bowl and placed it on the coffee table and turned off the TV. It was only a little after 10:30, but she was exhausted, and Annie obviously was too. She slid Jack off her lap and gently shook Annie.

"Hey...Banan...wake up" Lucy said softly.

"Hmm?" Annie said sleepily as her eyes fluttered open.

"The movie's over. You fell asleep. I am going to go to bed."

Annie nodded and sat up, stretching. She stood slowly and walked to her room. Lucy picked Jack up and turned the light off as she walked to her own room. Within minutes of lying down she was asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Lucy woke up only an hour before she was due to set for the next table read. She rolled out of bed and showered quickly, and then threw her hair up into a messy bun. After feeding Jack she put her fake glasses on to conceal her makeup free face and made her way to set.

As she hurried into the building, Lucy almost ran directly into Ian. She stepped back quickly in order to keep from falling over him.

"Whoa, where are you going?" Ian asked laughing.

"Sorry, I thought I was going to be late, and you _know_ how much I hate being late!" Lucy said blushing. "Sorry I basically ran right into you."

"Don't be sorry. I didn't mind" he said smiling slightly.

Lucy looked up and smirked at him. They both turned and walked down the short hall to the room where the table read was taking place. As they entered, it was obvious that they were being waited on. Scanning the room, they took in the many faces. Many had smirks, assuming that they were late, together, for a reason.

Lucy and Ian looked at each other, blushing furiously. Ian cleared his throat and Lucy muttered a 'sorry' as they scurried to their designated seats.

Minutes after sitting down, the table read started. It took a little over 4 hours until they were allowed to leave. Once everyone began to disperse, Ian looked at Lucy and began to chuckle.

"What?" she asked laughing.

"So how much do you want to bet everyone assumed we were hooking up or something? I could tell that is what Keegan was thinking by the look on his face" Ian said still laughing.

Lucy nodded as a blush crept back to her face. "Yeah, I know. That was only slightly humiliating."

"Whatever. It's not like it is the first time they thought we were hooking up I'm sure" Ian stated, a smile tugging on his face.

Lucy shook her head with a smile on her face and looked at Ian. "So have you talked to Sophia yet?" she asked bluntly.

Ian ran his hands through his hair and leaned back in his chair. "I haven't. I plan on picking her up from the airport on Wednesday night though, so we will talk then" he said awkwardly.

"Oh...so do you know what you are going to say?" Lucy asked slowly.

Ian turned to Lucy and took her hand. "I haven't quite decided yet what to say. But I promise I will fill you in once I do know. I don't want you to worry. I promise everything will work out" he said quietly.

Lucy nodded and sighed. Both she and Ian stood up and began to walk out the door. As they walked to their cars Ian turned to Lucy and pulled her into an unexpected embrace. "Luce, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm putting you through this" he said sincerely.

Lucy looked up to him as she bit her lip nervously. "I understand. I'm just scared, but I trust you."

"Thank you. I love you. Remember that" Ian said softly. He pulled her back in and kissed the top of her head. "I'll see you Thursday."

Lucy said goodbye and walked to her car. Ian stood outside his car and watched her drive away. Once she was gone, he got into his own car as tears began to brim his eyes.


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: Okay so I hate Lucy and Ian being in limbo as much as you guys do, so I am going to post the next chapter to get things moving for you. I am only writing Chapter 36 right now and I like to stay a few chapters ahead so it may be a few days until I update again. In this chapter you will get a good idea about what Ian will do about the Sophia/Lucy dilemma. This is only the very start of everything, so stay tuned for Chapter 35-38 to get the rest :)**

Chapter 34

The next couple of days dragged on for Ian. After seeing and talking to Lucy for the first time since their weekend together, his feelings for her overwhelmed him. Although he had plenty of time to think about what to say to Sophia, he couldn't bring his thoughts to her. His days were spent thinking of only Lucy.

Wednesday approached slowly, which Ian was surprisingly thankful for. He had to go to set for a short scene with Byron, and then would have to leave to pick up Sophia from the airport. His scene only took a little over an hour to shoot and he was on his way.

As he was walking out to his car, he spotted a very familiar face. Lucy was just arriving to set and Ian couldn't help the goofy smile spreading across his face. As she exited her car she locked eyes with Ian and walked over to him smiling widely.

"I thought we would miss each other today! I am so glad I got to see you before you left!" she said excitedly as she wrapped her petite arms around his torso.

Ian pulled her in close and smelled her hair. He felt butterflies in his stomach from having her so close. He found it unexpected since he didn't usually feel so nervous from such a simple gesture. Pulling himself from his thoughts, he pulled away from the embrace reluctantly and answered Lucy. "Yeah, I am really glad too. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too" she said looking at him. He could tell that she wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure what.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

"Nothing. Really, I'm fine" she said. To anyone else, she may have been convincing, but Ian saw right through her.

"It is something" he said tilting her head up to meet his eyes. "Tell me."

"Really. Don't worry about, Ian. I'll be okay. I promise" Lucy said giving him a reassuring smile.

Ian sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Luce, I hate when you keep things from me. You know you can tell me anything" he said pleading.

Lucy sighed and looked away as she spoke. "I guess I am just a little worried with you going to pick up Sophia today. Whatever you guys do is totally up to you, I mean you _are_ single. But I am just a little nervous that she is going to say or do something to win you over."

Ian pulled Lucy back into a tight embrace. "Luce, you are worried for nothing. Like I said a few days ago, I am _in_ love with you, and that hasn't changed. I'm glad that you gave me this time to talk to Sophia, but I want you to know that I am not using the time to rekindle anything. Sophia is an important person in my life, and I do think she deserves a little bit of time to take in the information, but I have no plans on getting back with her. Okay? I don't want you to be worried."

Lucy let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. For everything" she said quietly.

"I love you Lucy, and I promise I will keep you updated on what is happening. I know how hard it is to be in your shoes, remember? But I really need to get going and you probably need to get into hair and makeup" Ian said smiling at her.

"I love you. I'll see you tomorrow" Lucy said as she slowly pulled away from their embrace. She waved goodbye as she walked into the building.

Once she was out of sight, Ian plopped down into the driver's seat of his car. He checked his phone to see one new text message. He swiped his finger across the screen and found that it was from Sophia, letting him know that she would be at the airport in about an hour.

With that, Ian pulled out of his parking spot and drove towards the airport. While he was driving, he turned the radio to the country station. Ian never listened to country, but because of Lucy, he was beginning to like it. As he approached the airport parking lot, the song "Wanted" by Hunter Hayes began streaming through the speakers. He pulled into a parking spot and sat listening to the song. As he listened, his thoughts went straight to Lucy. It was the type of song Ian wished he could write only for her.

As the song was in it's last verse, Ian's phone began to vibrate, pulling him from his thoughts. It was Sophia letting him know that the plane just landed and that she was excited to see him. Taking that as his cue to go inside, he turned off his car and walked reluctantly into the airport.

Ian stood outside of the baggage claim for Sophia's flight nervously. He found her luggage and pulled it off the conveyer belt as he waited for her to arrive. Suddenly, he noticed the tall brunette walking down the long aisle, until she spotted him and started running to him.

Sophia ran right into Ian's arms and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "Hey! I have missed you so much!" she said excitedly.

Ian was not expecting the enthusiasm Sophia was displaying and wasn't sure how to react. "I missed you too" he replied simply.

Sophia retracted from her tight embrace around Ian and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. Smiling she took Ian's hand in hers and began to walk towards the exit.

Ian was in shock by Sophia's reaction. He expected her to be friendly, but not act as if they were dating. Did she think they were together?

He shook it off for the time being and walked next to Sophia making small talk. They got to his car and he loaded her bags into the trunk. He got into the driver's seat and drove from the parking lot into traffic.

Suddenly Sophia looked over to Ian with a confused look on her face.

"What?" Ian asked confused.

"Since when do you listen to country music?" she asked laughing.

Ian froze. He didn't want to tell Sophia right away about his relationship with Lucy in respect to her. He decided he could use Lucy as an excuse, but not tell her that they were sort of seeing each other.

"Um, I don't really. I told Lucy I would attempt to listen to it occasionally since she is writing a country album. The whole cast is trying to for support to her" he said convincingly.

"Oh, well that's nice. How is everyone doing anyways?" she asked, seeming to buy his answer.

* * *

Once they arrived at Ian's house, he showed her around and told her she could keep her bags in the guest bedroom. Ian and Sophia decided while in New York that she would come stay with him in his new house for a couple of days after picking her up from the airport. He had no idea that things would be so different within only a matter of a couple of weeks.

Sophia went to the guest bedroom and shut the door. While she was in the bedroom, Ian began to panic slightly, due to her sudden clinginess. He wanted her to get the hint that they were _just_ friends but he didn't want to tell her and not only break her heart, but humiliate her. As he was thinking about what to say, Sophia snuck out of the bedroom and came up behind Ian, hugging him from behind.

Ian jumped, startled by Sophia's hands on his chest. He pulled from her embrace as gracefully as possible and turned to smile at her. "So what should we do tonight?" he asked trying to diffuse the awkwardness.

"Well, I was thinking we could just stay in and eat and maybe just watch some movies. That way we can just enjoy each others company tonight" she said seductively.

"I'm surprised you want to stay in! I thought you would want to go out with everyone since it's been a couple of weeks since you have seen them..." he said trying to persuade her.

"Maybe we could another night. I would really like to stay in, I'm pretty tired anyways."

Ian nodded in defeat. "Okay. Should we order takeout then? Or do you want to make dinner here?" he asked.

"I'm actually really craving Thai food right now. Could we order that?" she asked politely.

"Yeah, we can order whatever you'd like" Ian said as he pulled the Thai menu from the drawer.

Sophia picked out the meal she wanted and Ian called it in. He went to his bedroom and changed into a pair of flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt while he waited for the takeout. Just as he was getting out a stack of movies, there was a knock at the door signaling that their food had arrived. Ian went to the door and retrieved their food. He placed the takeout containers on the coffee table with a couple of forks and 2 glasses of water. The two of them ate quickly and made small talk until they were finished.

Sophia excused herself to the guest room to change while Ian disposed of their takeout containers. He put 'The Notebook' in the bluray player, which was obviously Sophia's choice. After turning down the lights he flopped down into the corner of the couch and made himself comfortable. Just as the movie was about to start, Sophia came back into the living room wearing much less than Ian expected.

Ian's eyes went wide when he took Sophia's attire in. She was wearing a tiny pair of pajama shorts and a cami with no bra. Seeing her in such little clothing normally would make Ian extremely happy, but today it only made him feel like throwing up. If it were Lucy wearing so little, they would probably have sex right there on the couch. But this wasn't Lucy.

Ian's heart pounded against his chest and he began to get a throbbing pain in his head. Sophia made her way closer and sat as close to Ian as she possibly could and snuggled up into his side. She leaned up and kissed his cheek and pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and threw it across both of them.

After a half an hour of Sophia sitting practically on Ian in basically nothing, he decided he needed an excuse to get out of the situation. He began to rub his temples which made Sophia look up at him in confusion.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I just have a migraine. It came on right before dinner" he said convincingly.

"Should I get you some medicine?" she asked.

"No, I'll be fine. I have been pretty stressed with work and moving and haven't been sleeping much. You are more than welcome to stay up and watch the rest of the movie, but I think I am going to go to bed. I think that is the only thing that will get rid of this headache" Ian stated.

"Okay, well feel better" Sophia said sadly. She grabbed Ian's face and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

Ian felt as if he could be sick. He stood slowly from his spot on the couch and went to his bedroom. He threw his shirt on the floor and got into bed. His heart was pounding and his head truly was throbbing. He did love Sophia, she was one of his best friends, but he couldn't take the Sophia she was being today. He went over what had happened in New York and couldn't think of anything that would cause her to think that they were officially together. He was hoping that she was just happy to see him, and nothing more, but he felt that that was being too hopeful. Although he and Lucy were not officially dating, he felt as if having Sophia in his house doing and wearing what she was was like cheating on her. The thought swarmed his mind until finally, exhaustion took over and he drifted off to sleep.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Morning came early for Ian as he rolled over and felt something next to him. He opened his eyes slowly, confused at what was in his bed. His eyes flew open when he saw a half naked Sophia lying next to him. Panicked, he rolled out of bed and went to the bathroom shutting the door quickly. He needed an excuse to leave the house because if he didn't he may say something he didn't mean.

He decided that he would go for a run to get out of the house for awhile and clear his head. Opening the bathroom door slowly, he went to his dresser and pulled out some shorts and a t-shirt, grabbed his phone and left the bedroom quickly. Outside the bedroom door, Ian slipped into his running clothes and pulled his shoes on. He plugged his earbuds into his iPhone and left the house.

As he began to run he put his itunes on shuffle, starting with Memphis Mayfire. The song was perfect to pump him up for a run so early, along with the adrenaline from the situation at hand.

Ian knew he had to tell Sophia that they were going to have to be just friends from now on, but he couldn't figure out how to tell her. He was annoyed by her actions, she wasn't acting like the Sophia he knew. The night before was bad enough, but to find her in his bed in the morning was enough to send him over the edge.

Just as he was in the peak of his thoughts, the song switched to "Then" by Brad Paisley. At first Ian was going to switch it to a more upbeat song until he realized what the song was. Thoughts of Lucy came pouring in instantly. Brad Paisley was one of the few country artists that Lucy introduced Ian to that he actually really liked. Not only that, but the song itself caused Ian's emotions to run wild. It seemed to sing the thoughts he felt for Lucy.

He felt that he couldn't turn the song, so instead Ian slowed down and listened to it. He seemed to calm down a considerable amount just from the positive feelings of Lucy it brought on. Once the song was over, a more upbeat one took it's place. Ian came out of his thoughts of Lucy and began to run again.

After a good hour of running, Ian returned home. As he entered the house, he found Sophia in the kitchen pouring coffee into a mug. He was relieved to see that she put on more clothing.

"Hey, where've you been?" Sophia asked curiously.

"I went for a run. I, uh, I couldn't sleep" Ian mumbled.

"Oh, well I rolled over and you were gone...are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, my headache is gone. Are you hungry?" he asked awkwardly.

"I am, but I am going to brunch with the girls. What are you doing after work? We should go out with everyone tonight!" she said smiling.

"I'd love to Soph...but I told Keegs and Julian I would go out with them tonight for drinks. Maybe tomorrow or something?"

"Oh...okay. Yeah. Maybe. I'm going to go take a shower" Sophia said as she left the room.

Ian ran his hands through his hair. He didn't make plans to go to the bar with Keegan and Julian, but he would beg them to go today so that it didn't seem like he was lying. He really needed some time to think things through. After seeing Sophia, he realized that his romantic feelings for her had diminshed more than he expected. She was still extremely important to him, but he had absolutely no desire to be with her romantically again. He sighed hard and made his way to his bedroom to get ready for work.

* * *

As Ian was getting his things around to leave for set, Sophia entered the living room carrying her bags. She set them down by the door and slipped on her shoes.

"You are more than welcome to hang out here if you'd like, or I can take you to your place? I just have to be to set at noon" Ian said as he watched her.

Sophia ran her hand through her short hair. "Actually the girls are on their way now to get me, so they will just drop me off at my place after brunch. Thanks though."

Ian nodded. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a blue car pull into the driveway. Sophia began picking up her bags and Ian walked over to help her. Lifting her carry on bag he followed her out to the car and placed the bag in the trunk. Sophia turned around and thanked him. Ian leaned in to give her a hug and she got into the car and drove away.

* * *

Ian arrived on set and went straight to hair and makeup. It didn't take him long, and from there he went to his dressing room. As he was dressing in Ezra's typical attire, he couldn't help but feel excited for his upcoming scenes. He and Lucy had a pretty romantic scene to shoot today and it had been quite awhile. Once he finished buttoning the last few buttons on his shirt, he left the dressing room and walked to the stage they were shooting on.

As he approached the stage, he saw a petite brunette sitting in the chair with Aria Montgomery on the back. Quietly, he snuck up behind her and squeezed his hands around her waist scaring her.

"Oh my God!" Lucy screamed. She turned around quickly to find Ian bent over laughing hysterically. She punched him in the arm playfully. "Ian! I'm going to kill you!"

"You should have seen your face. It was priceless" he said between laughs.

Lucy shook her head and began laughing to herself as she went in for a hug. Marlene walked by explaining to the two of them what the scene was going to be like. Andy followed her and began placing them where they needed to be for filming.

They went to their designated spots and began filming. The talking part of the scene went well and didn't take long to perfect, but the makeout scene was the next part to film. They were supposed to be standing close to the window to start and it would move to the couch.

Once the director yelled 'action!' Lucy brought her lips to Ian's and began running her hands through his hair. He kissed her back slowly at first and then began to kiss her more passionately.

Suddenly the director yelled 'cut!' and they broke apart. They explained to Ian and Lucy that it was supposed to be a very slow building kiss, but once it moved to the couch it was supposed to be at the intensity that Ian was already at.

Lucy laughed softly, knowing that Ian was very eager to kiss her. They began the kissing scene again, and Ian consciously kissed Lucy softly. Once they had the first part of the kiss perfected, they were to work on the transition from standing to the couch.

Lucy was supposed to jump into Ian's arms and he was to carry her to the couch from there. Once the cameras were rolling, Ian began kissing Lucy more intensely than before and she jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. He walked slowly to the couch and began to lower them down to it when Lucy suddenly started laughing.

She contained herself quickly and looked at Ian with a smirk on her face. The cameramen and director were looking at her, confused to why she started laughing.

"Could we take a 5 minute break, please?" she asked trying not to laugh again.

"Yeah, but what's going on?" Andy asked curiously.

"Um...nothing...I think we could just use a quick break" Lucy said as she looked down at Ian's pants.

Ian's face was bright red as he watched Lucy's attention shift from his eyes to his pants. He sat trying to cover the erection that was showing, embarrassed. Andy suddenly understood and laughed as he nodded.

"No worries, man. It happens to the best of us" Andy said, chuckling. "I'm going to go get some coffee. I'll be back in a few."

Ian and Lucy sat on the couch together as everyone else dispersed for the quick break.

Lucy looked at Ian smiling and grabbed his hand. The blush was slowly going away on his face, along with the boner in his pants. "What's going on? This hasn't happened since the sex scene in season 2!" Lucy said teasingly.

"Um I have no idea. I can't really control it...maybe it has something to do with the fact that we have had sex since then" Ian said quietly. "I don't know how the hell we're going to get through this scene though. I have a feeling it's not going to...just stay away."

Lucy giggled as quietly as she could. She felt bad that he had such a public embarrassing moment, but she couldn't help but feel good that _she_ was the one who caused it.

"I'm sorry, Ian. Really. I didn't mean to laugh, but when I jump up and I can feel_...it_ on my stomach, while everyone is watching, I couldn't help it. Just pretend I am some random person, maybe that would help" she offered.

"Lucy, I don't think you realize just how hard it is for me to kiss you and not let it lead to more. Obviously my body agrees..." Ian said matter-of-factly.

"Well if you can just get through this scene..." Lucy started.

"Yeah...let's hope I can" Ian said laughing.

The crew slowly began making their way back to the stage, obviously aware of why there was a break. A few cracked jokes at Ian, but he took them in a lighthearted manner.

After a few more takes, they were able to get the shot they needed. He only had problems one other time, but this time it was much more expected. From there, Lucy and Ian went to their respective dressing rooms to change back into their regular clothes.

* * *

Ian pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a text to Keegan and Julian asking if they would want to meet up for drinks in a few hours. Just as he pressed send there was a knock at the door. As he opened it, there stood Lucy.

"Hey, come in" he said cheerfully.

"So, really, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you earlier. I promise I didn't mean to, it just...caught me off guard I guess" Lucy blurted out.

"Eh it's fine. They would have noticed anyways. I just can't believe it took so little to turn me on this time. It's just...since we have had sex...it's like you are all I can think about, Luce" Ian admitted.

"Have you talked to Sophia then?" she asked curiously.

"I really tried, but I think she thinks we are more than friends. I have to tell her though. Luce, after seeing her yesterday and today, I realized just how much I love you. She doesn't have the effect that you do on me. I do love Sophia, but only as a _friend._ I wasn't sure before, but I am sure now. You are definitely the one for me" Ian said sincerely.

"Really? You want to be with me? I mean, only me? You don't have romantic feelings for her like you thought you did?" Lucy asked hopeful.

"I do want to be with you. And no, I don't have romantic feelings for her like I thought I would. Sophia is a special person in my life, but I am realizing that you are the only girl I can really see myself with. I never knew it before, but I think Sophia was merely a rebound for me...because when I picked her up from the airport, I didn't get butterflies like I did when I saw you at my house last weekend. I just need to find a way to tell her without really hurting her."

Lucy launched herself into Ian's arms. They held each other for a few minutes before pulling apart. Lucy looked at Ian with a huge grin on her face.

"I love you" she said simply. "And I don't want you to hurt her either, I know she is an important person in your life. But hearing you say that I am the one you want makes me the happiest girl ever. I will do whatever I can to help you with this, Ian. Really. Just tell me what I can do to help."

"All I can ask for is a little time to figure out how to say what I need to say. I may be going out with Keegs and Julian tonight, maybe they can help me out."

Lucy smiled and kissed Ian softly on the lips. "Whatever you need to do. But tell me if there is anything I can do to help. I'm serious."

Ian wrapped his arms around Lucy's tiny waist. "I will. I love you. Thank you for being so understanding." Ian leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. "But if it is okay, we may need to still keep this on the DL for a little while. Just for the sake of everyone else."

Lucy nodded in agreement. She didn't care what she had to do, for the first time in her life, she finally had the guy she had wanted all along.


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: Okay so the next couple chapters will continue to be about Ian. I thought it would be important to see his side in things a bit more. Once I get to chapter 40 I will speed up time a little. Instead of going day by day, or every couple of days, there will be a few weeks that go by. This is more so we can get to the good stuff faster ;) Also, because it is October starting in this chapter, we are getting really close to a much happier storyline! **

**Before I let you get to the story, I wanted to give a huge thank you to all my reviewers and followers! You all give me the inspiration to write! If you all have any suggestions for future story lines between Lucy and Ian, let me know in a review, or you can follow me on twitter flawednfab1. I am open to anything and I may use some of them! Thank you and hope you enjoy :)**

Chapter 36

Ian said his goodbyes to the cast and crew that were on set, giving Lucy an extra special goodbye. He was all smiles as he got into his car and headed home. He, Keegan, and Julian were planning on meeting up at the bar at 9:00 pm and it was already 6:30.

Upon arriving home, Ian showered and dressed in a charcoal gray button down and jeans. He pulled a bowl of hummus from his fridge and grabbed some pita chips from the pantry to snack on while he organized his house. He had an hour to spare before he would have to leave for the bar, so he took the time to do some laundry and make a grocery list. Once he was finished he pulled on some shoes and left for the bar.

* * *

Ian walked into the crowded bar and made his way to a large table where he found Keegan and Julian already sitting. He greeted them and found that they both had just arrived. He asked what they wanted to drink and offered to by the first round.

Walking up to the bar, Ian ordered a Heineken for Keegan, and Jack and Coke's for Julian and himself. Once the drinks were ready he brought them back to the table and made himself comfortable in one of the chairs.

"So what's up buddy?" Julian asked Ian, laughing slightly.

"I wish I could say not much, but I would be lying" Ian said. He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. The stress of everything made him feel a little crazy.

"Dude, you ok?" Keegan asked concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sophia's back from New York..."

"So why don't you seem very excited?" Keegan asked, a little confused.

Ian sighed and looked to Julian who had a knowing smile on his face. "Damn you, Julian" Ian said laughing.

Julian began laughing, knowing exactly what Ian meant. He could tell something was going on during the ustream.

"Shit. I don't know what to do. When I went to New York, Sophia and I ran into each other, which you know. We talked about getting back together but we never made any decisions or anything...well she's back and thinks we are back together. I probably wouldn't think much of it if-"

"If Lucy wasn't in the picture?" Keegan asked catching on.

"Yeah" Ian responded. He rubbed the back of his neck and took a long sip of his drink.

"So what are you two? Are you guys together now? Is that why you were late for the table read?" Keegan asked giving Ian a light punch on the arm.

"No! Dude that was pure coincidence, I swear! Luce and I definitely have something going on, but right now we're just not doing anything until I figure my shit out with Sophia" Ian said quickly.

"Well do you love Sophia?" Julian asked more seriously.

"I don't know. I mean, I do, but I don't love her like I love Luce. Sophia and I have been in each others lives since college, so she is definitely important to me. But that is why this is so hard. She is in love with me, but I can't love her like that...I just don't want to break her heart."

"Well, I think this calls for another round of drinks" Keegan said suddenly standing. "Same thing?"

Julian and Ian nodded in response.

"So can't you just tell Sophia that you are better off as friends? She is away often anyway, she would hardly expect you to be with Lucy" Julian said.

"Well I could tell her we have to be just friends, but _gauranteed _she will assume it is because I want to be with Luce. She has suspected my feelings for her for quite some time now. I don't want to ruin a good friendship, but damn she was annoying and clingy as hell yesterday! I can't take that!" Ian said tension laced in his voice.

Keegan returned with the second round of drinks and brought himself back into the conversation.

"So you want to be with Lucy, right?" Keegan asked as he sat down.

"Yeah, more than anything. It is finally the right timing" Ian said seriously.

"Then stop worrying about everyone else and do what is best for _you_, dude. Seriously, you always try to do things so that everyone else is happy. It's time for you to be happy. And damn it, just be with Lucy already since you guys have been eyefucking since you have known each other" Keegan exclaimed.

"He's right, man. Everyone knows you and Lucy are meant to be together. Most people suspect you already are and have been for some time. Sophia will understand. She is a good person. She will be upset I'm sure, but she will find a way to accept it" Julian added.

Ian sighed. "You guys are right. I need to man up and just do it. I'll call her tomorrow and see if we can get together and talk this through." He took another long gulp of his drink and finished it.

"I've got the next round" Julian said as he made his way to the bar.

"And if you don't want to tell Sophia that you are planning on dating Lucy, just keep in under wraps for a while. I'm sure Luce will understand" Keegan said trying to reassure Ian.

Julian returned with another round of drinks. "So what did I miss?" he teased.

"Nothing much. I think I'm going to call Sophia tomorrow and talk to her about everything, but I think I will keep Lucy out of it...for now. She doesn't need to know why I want to be just friends. It wouldn't work anyway with her traveling so often. That is what broke us up before" Ian said accepting his drink.

The boys concluded their talk about Ian's dilemma and moved on to other topics. Three rounds of drinks later, they were ready to leave the bar.

* * *

Ian called a cab to take him home since he was a little too drunk to drive himself. Once the cab arrived, Ian hopped in the back seat and pulled his phone out. There was one new text message. He swiped his finger across the screen and found a text from Sophia.

"Hey I think we need to talk. Call me tomorrow."

Ian rubbed the back of his head nervously and exited out of the text message. A few minutes later he pulled his phone back out and brought Lucy's name up in a new text.

"Hi. I miss you" he typed simply. Once he pressed send he stared at his phone, smiling goofily.

The cab driver stopped in front of Ian's house and Ian paid him as he hopped out. He stumbled slightly up the drive and unlocked his door. Once he was inside he kicked off his shoes and unbuttoned his shirt as he made his way down the hall to his room.

He threw the shirt to the floor and added his pants to the pile. Climbing into bed, he looked at his phone to find a new message from Lucy.

"Hi. I miss you too. Are you still at the bar with Keegs and Julian?"

Smiling, he responded. "I just got back home. I'm going to sleep now. I love you, Lucy."

He set his phone on the pillow next to him, waiting for a reply. Minutes later, there was a response.

"I love you too, baby. Goodnight."

Ian was grinning from ear to ear. Lucy had never called him 'baby' before, and the thought made him excited. He tossed and turned for awhile, but finally he was able to fall asleep.

* * *

Ian awoke the next morning shortly after 10 am. He sat up slowly realizing that his head was throbbing from a hangover. He walked to the kitchen and took a few Advil and went back to bed.

20 minutes later Ian woke up again to the sound of his phone vibrating next to him. He picked it up and found that it was Sophia calling. He cleared his throat and tried to sound awake.

"Hello?" he said as cheerfully as possible.

"Hey. Did I wake you up? You sound like you are still asleep" Sophia said cautiously.

"Nah, I'm okay. What's up?" he said clearing his throat again.

"I was just wondering if we could meet up today. I want to talk to you about something" she said suddenly.

"Um, yeah. Where do you want to meet and when?" he asked tiredly.

"Can I just come to your place? Maybe in an hour or so?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah...sure. I'll see you in a bit" he said.

After hanging up the phone, he rolled to his back and groaned. Sophia coming over for a talk while he was hungover was not his idea of a good time. He sat up slowly and lazily walked to the bathroom for a shower.

Although he was exhausted and still had a throbbing headache, the shower did wonders for him. He brewed some coffee and went outside to retrieve the newspaper. Sitting on the couch, Ian sipped on his coffee and read through the LA Times. A few minutes later there was a quiet knock on the door.

He stood up and opened the door to see a disheveled Sophia standing on his porch. She was wearing blue sweatpants and a grey sweatshirt, something she wouldn't normally go out in public in. He invited her in and brought her a cup of coffee.

"So what's up?" he asked awkwardly.

"Look, I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much into things, but you acted really strange yesterday. Well, and the day before. What is going on, Ian?" Sophia asked, her eyebrows knitted together.

Ian sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Soph, I don't know if I said something to make you think we were back together while I was in New York, but I didn't intend to get back together at the moment. I'm sorry if it came across that way..."

Sophia scowled up at Ian. "What do you mean you didn't intend it? We talked about it specifically while we were in New York, don't you remember? What happened between then and now?!" she asked, obviously upset.

Ian now stood, trying to stand his ground. "We _talked_ about possibly getting back together once you were back in LA, but I never once said we were back together. I'm sorry, I didn't realize it came across that way."

"Right...so what changed then? Because three weeks ago you were all gung-ho about getting back together, and now you are avoiding me as if I am diseased or something!" Sophia exclaimed now standing as well.

"Look, I'm sorry Sophia. I didn't mean to lead you on or hurt your feelings. But do you really think it will work out this time? We've tried this so many times but the traveling and the distance always get in the way. What would be different about this time?" Ian asked exasperated.

Sophia shook her head as she tried to hold back the tears. "Okay. Yup, it's all my fault. I'm sorry, Ian. I have to travel, it is part of my _job._ If it were the other way around I would stick it out for you...but I see that I am no longer a priority in your life."

Ian moved closer to Sophia, feeling the stab from her words. He really did care about her and seeing her hurt broke his heart because he knew how it felt to be rejected. He reached out and took her hand before he spoke. "I know it is a lousy excuse, but I am just trying to be honest with you. When you are in New York or wherever else you are traveling at the time, I will admit, it gets lonely. I need more from a relationship, Soph, I'm sorry. I am telling you this because I do love you and I know that you deserve someone better than me."

She wiped the stray tears that escaped her eyes and sighed. "Why can't we just try? That is all I'm asking" she pleaded.

Ian felt as if he was slowly killing her. He knew he would have to tell her why, but it made him feel sick to do it. "Because, I can't. I'm sorry Sophia. I love you, but I don't think I could be _in_ love with someone that I never get to see. I am not trying to hurt you, believe me, I am doing what I can to not do that, but I also want to be honest with you."

Feeling defeated, Sophia sat on the couch and looked at her lap. "So we're done? For good? What happens if I move back to LA for good and there is no more traveling?"

"I want to tell you that we could be together, Sophia, I really do, but I would be lying. This kills me, okay? I hate hurting you, you are one of my best friends. But I can't be with you solely to make you feel better because that wouldn't be fair to either of us" Ian said truthfully.

Sophia nodded sheepishly. After not speaking for some time, she finally spoke. "So are you in love with someone else?"


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Ian stared at Sophia with a blank expression. _'Are you in love with someone else?' _was replaying in Ian's head as if he couldn't understand what she was asking. In reality, he was hoping that was the only question she wouldn't ask. After some time, he snapped out of it and came up with the least upsetting answer he could muster.

"Soph..." he shook his head and sat down on the couch, taking her hand. "Look I don't want to tell you that I am, because I know how bad it hurts to hear. But I know that you know as well as I do that we have grown apart over the past few years due to conflicting schedules and traveling..." Ian started, talking with his hands. "You know that I will always love you, you are a great friend, but you deserve to be with someone who appreciates you. I know that I can't do that fully if I never even get to see you."

"But you still didn't answer my question, Ian" Sophia said as she looked at him with hurt in her eyes.

Ian nodded and looked down. "Yeah, I think I have fallen for someone else. I'm so sorry, Soph. Please understand..."

Sophia pulled her hand from Ian's and stood. Tears began flooding from her eyes as she walked over to the window, away from Ian. He knew she was upset, but she didn't want him to see her crying. Trying to console her, Ian went to the window to try to give her a hug, but she pushed him away.

"Ian, please. Don't do this" Sophia said turning away from him.

"Soph, you are crying, I can't stand to see you cry" Ian pleaded.

"Don't look at me then. Please, it'll only make it worse."

Ian sighed, frustrated. He knew he was the one who caused her to cry, which killed him, but he knew that he had to tell her the truth, lying to her would cause more pain in the long run. As he was returned to his spot on the couch, Sophia slowly turned around to look at him.

"So why did you not tell me to begin with? I made a complete ass of myself, Ian! The least you could have done would be to tell me right off the bat so that I wouldn't act so stupid. I thought we were back together, honestly. But then Wednesday night when you said you had a headache, I started to feel like things had changed. I was hoping it was because you really didn't feel well. Seems I was wrong..."

"Look, I didn't know that you thought we were together! If I knew that, I would have talked to you before I came to pick you up. But you started acting differently when you got here and I just panicked I guess. I'm sorry! I know I should have just told you, but I didn't want to hurt you" Ian said with anger laced in his words. He felt as if he was getting blamed for everything.

"Maybe we aren't good together, seeing as we can't even communicate..." Sophia said harshly. "So who is the other girl?"

Ian shook his head. "I can't tell you that, Sophia. Please don't make me tell you that. I know I already hurt you and it isn't going to change anything."

"But I want to know. Who was able to win you over? I just want to know who I have been competing with" she said sternly. "And for how long? Were you just screwing with me when we talked in New York?"

"Are you serious? Do you really think so lowly of me that you think I would intentionally hurt you? Sophia, I did love you! I still do, I just don't in the way that you want me to. I have been struggling with my feelings for awhile now, really since our breakup in April. But things went downhill with her before I came to New York. That is part of the reason I was in New York in the first place" Ian started, struggling for words. He was saddened by the way Sophia saw him.

"So is it the same girl? Or did you find someone new?"

"It's the same girl..." Ian said. He felt slightly guilty, as if he had cheated on Sophia, although it wasn't the case. "I'm sorry. I really am. I tried to not have feelings for her, but I just can't help it. The heart knows what it wants."

Sophia shook her head and began to cry again. This time Ian wrapped his arms around her and comforted her. He kept telling her that he was sorry and that he didn't mean to hurt her, but she only continued to cry. Finally after some time she ran out of tears. She looked up at Ian, but quickly looked back away from him.

"Hey, look at me" Ian said lifting her head towards his face. "Do you believe me when I say that I had no intentions of doing this to you?" he asked painfully.

Sophia nodded slightly. "I believe you...I just wish I didn't hear all of this. I was really hoping I was overreacting. Turns out I was under reacting..." she said sadly. "But I understand. I know you can't help what you feel, but it doesn't make it hurt any less."

"I just feel terrible that I hurt you. You are one of my closest friends and I don't want to lose that. Do you think in time, you may be able to forgive me and we can try to have the friendship back?" he asked timidly.

"I hope so. I really do, Ian. It is going to take some time, but I could never bring myself to hate you" she said. After a few seconds she spoke again. "I should probably go..."

"Are you sure you will be okay? Should I drive you home?" Ian asked worriedly.

"No I'll be fine. I just need to...to process this."

Ian nodded in understanding. He put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed, showing that he still cared for her. She slipped her shoes on and opened the door, giving Ian a slight smile.

"Hey, I'll walk to you to your car" he said following her.

As they were walking to her car Ian put his arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm. As they almost got to her car, a few people seemed to have recognized them as they were walking down the sidewalk. None of the girls said anything, but Ian could tell that they recognized him by the fact that they were pointing and giggling loudly. He ignored them the best he could and opened the car door for Sophia.

"Thanks for telling me the truth, Ian. I know it doesn't seem like I am very grateful but I am. I hope we can stay friends, I just really do need some time" Sophia said as she looked up at Ian.

He gave her a strong hug. "Thank you for understanding and I am so sorry. I hope we can get back to being friends again as well, but I know you need time. Take care" he said as she got into her car.

She waved sadly to him as she drove away. Ian sighed and ran his hand through his hair as he turned to walk back up the driveway. He looked to his left to find the 3 girls standing there, obviously snapping pictures. He waved to them, showing that he acknowledged their presence and walked into the house.

* * *

Ian looked at the time and noticed it was only a little after one in the afternoon. He was in an undecided mood, slightly upset for hurting Sophia, but happy that she didn't hate him. He was also excited that there was nothing else in the way of he and Lucy. A smile grew across his face and he went to retrieve his phone. He typed out a text message letting Lucy know that he talked to Sophia and to call as soon as she was done on set. He knew she would be done sometime in the afternoon, but his patience was wearing thin.

To try to pass the time, Ian took the grocery list he previously made and went to Whole Foods to pick up some groceries. As he was checking out he felt his iPhone begin to vibrate in his pocket. He quickly paid the cashier and pushed the cart to his car and loaded the groceries into the trunk. After returning the cart he pulled his phone out to find one missed call from Lucy. He pressed the call button and placed the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" Lucy said cheerfully on the other end.

"Hey, beautiful! Sorry I missed your call, I was checking out at Whole Foods" Ian said happily.

Lucy began to giggle. "Whole Foods? You don't say! I swear Mr. Harding, you should just live there. Did you get anything good?" she asked teasing.

"Yeah, I always get good food. What are you doing right now?" he asked.

"Well I am driving home from set right now, but then I am going to go workout. How was the talk with Sophia?" she asked cautiously.

"It started off a little rough, but she's okay. She understands and we ended on what I would say good terms" he said happily.

"So does she know about us?"

"No. She asked but I somehow changed the subject. She knows I have been in love with someone else since our breakup in April, but she doesn't know that it is you that I fell for. I'm thinking we should keep that to ourselves for a little while" he said. "So what are you plans for tonight? Would you maybe want to come to my place? Maybe I could cook you something with all this food I just bought!" he said laughing.

"I'd love to. Let's say around 6?"

"Sounds great. I love you, have a great workout. See you soon" Ian said.

"I love you, too. Bye."

Ian hung up the phone just as he was pulling into his driveway. He unloaded all of his groceries and put them away as he tried to come up with a meal to prepare for Lucy.

His nerves were going crazy and he felt almost as if he could throw up, in a good way. This would count as his and Lucy's first actual date. They had cooked together before, but either he was with Sophia or she had a boyfriend so it wasn't really a date. He tidied up the house and showered for the second time.

As Ian walked to his room after his shower, he noticed it was almost 5:00. His heart started to pound against his chest as he searched his closet for something to wear. He had very few clothes to choose from, but decided on a fitted gray henley and dark washed jeans. It looked nice without being overly dressed up. He wanted to make a great impression for their first date.

After Ian was finished getting himself around, he went to the kitchen and searched through some drawers for some candles. After finding a dozen tea lights and a few bigger ones, he arranged them on the table. Looking down at the watch on his wrist, he found that he still had some time to stop at the florist down the road to get Lucy some flowers. He hurried out to his car and quickly drove to the floral shop.

Upon entering, an older woman asked if he needed help with anything. He explained to her that he was about to have his first real date with the girl he was in love with and he wanted it to be perfect.

Smiling she led him to a cooler filled with flowers. "Nothing says love like roses" she said smiling.

Ian looked the flowers up and down and nodded his head. "Okay, I'll take two dozen."

The woman smiled and arranged 24 roses into a beautiful bouquet and handed them to Ian. As he took the bouquet, he noticed that the shop also sold loose rose petals. Suddenly, he got another idea.

"Actually, could I get some of those rose petals too, please?" he asked politely.

The women beamed at him, knowing where his thoughts were going. "Of course" she said as she poured some into a small container.

Ian paid the florist and sped home. He knew Lucy would be there within the next half hour, so he went diligently to work. He went to the bedroom and opened the small container of rose petals. he sprinkled some across the bed and then put a few of the candles on the night stands beside the bed. Pleased with his idea, he shut the door and began on the meal. Just as he was finishing with the salad, there was a knock at the door. He smiled and walked cooly to the door, and opened it to find the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on.

**A/N: I hope you all were satisfied with how things went between Ian and Sophia. This was such a hard part for me to write because I think Sophia seems like a really sweet person, but I am a hardcore Lucian shipper and can't help but only be happy with them together. **

**Also, I thought I would leave you with a little bit of a cliffhanger for this chapter! At least it is a much happier cliffhanger than some previous ones! ;) I promise to update by Wednesday of next week, possibly even sooner!**


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you for the reviews and new followers! I don't think you guys get how much that makes my day! This next chapter is a chapter of pure FLUFF. There is also a sex scene at the end, so if you would like to skip it, you won't miss anything important! I know I said it would probably be Wednesday before I updated again, but I was just so excited for this chapter because I know how long you've all been waiting for them to get together! And this chapter shouldn't disappoint! Please continue to review as well, as this is what motivates me to update faster! Xx**

Chapter 38

_Lucy dropped her keys onto the table as she rushed into her bedroom. She just came home from working out and only had a little over an hour before she was due to be at Ian's house. She hopped into the shower and moved fast in order to have enough time to get ready. After shaving, she stepped out and threw a towel around her body._

_Standing in the middle of her closet she tried to find the perfect outfit for her first real date with Ian. Finally, after contemplating for several minutes she pulled down a burgundy dress. After putting on lacy pink underwear she slipped the dress up her body. It fell to her midthigh and was covered in lace. It dipped low in the back but had full lace sleeves which made it seem a little less sexy._

_Hurriedly, she dried her hair and curled it so that it fell in big waves, which Ian loved. She quickly put on some makeup, paying extra attention to her eyes and finished with pink gloss. _

_She slipped on a pair of nude heels and grabbed her purse, phone and keys from the counter as she walked through the kitchen. Just as she was about to leave, Annie returned home. _

"_Damn Luce! Where are you off to?" she asked smiling._

"_I have my first real date with Ian tonight. He is going to make me dinner" Lucy said nervously. "Are you sure I look okay?"_

"_You will be lucky if that dress even makes it past the door" Annie laughed. "You look hot, baby!"_

"_Ugh I love you, but I have to go or I will be late!" Lucy said kissing Annie on the cheek._

"_Be safe! I'm not ready to be an aunt again yet!" Annie called to Lucy as she was running down the hall of their apartment complex. _

_As Lucy heard Annie's comment she threw her middle finger up and began laughing as she turned to corner to the stairs._

* * *

As Lucy pulled into Ian's driveway she couldn't help but feel nervous. This was the first time they were able to do something date-like and actually call it a date. It was relieving and exhilarating at the same time.

As she stood on the front porch, she knocked timidly. A few seconds later she heard Ian's loud singing coming closer to the door. Upon opening the door, Ian's singing ceased and his jaw went slack. Lucy smiled as she looked up at Ian. "Hey," she said shyly, "Sorry I'm a little late."

"No, don't be sorry," Ian said, "come in."

Lucy stepped into the house and took in the smell of the cooking food. "It smells so good in here. What are you making?" she asked curiously.

"I'm making balsamic glazed salmon with salad, wild rice and asparagus. Is that okay?" he asked nervously.

"It sounds delicious" she said as she leaned up and kissed him gently on the lips.

* * *

The lights were dimmed to create a more romantic atmosphere, which Lucy noted, but she was taken aback when she walked into the dining room to find the table set up to look straight out of a 5-Star restaurant. There was the fine china that she knew was his great grandmother's and was extremely expensive, as well as candles spread strategically around the room.

Ian walked in to see Lucy's reaction and smiled. He pulled her close from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. "I wanted to make it romantic being this is our first real date. By the way, I got you something" he said kissing her cheek.

"Ian, this is enough! You didn't have to get me anything!" she said smiling.

He left the room and returned moments later carrying a giant bouquet of red roses. "The lady at the flower shop said that roses were the best idea for a first date. I hope you like them" he said as he handed it to her.

Lucy looked up at Ian, her mouth hanging open in awe. She couldn't believe that he not only was cooking for her and created such a sweet and romantic atmosphere, but he also just bought her two dozen beautiful roses!

"Oh my God, Ian! These are so beautiful! You seriously did not have to buy me flowers though! Dinner and all of this," she said motioning to the room, "is enough!" Lucy said with tear brimmed eyes.

"Hey, I wanted to. You deserve to be treated like this, Lucy. Remember that" Ian said lovingly.

She set the flowers on the table beside her and wrapped her arms around Ian's neck. "I love you so much. Thank you. For everything" she said as she kissed him tenderly on the lips.

The sound of the oven timer going off tore them from their moment. Ian pulled away and pulled a chair out for Lucy to sit in. "Have a seat, I'll get the food" he said smiling.

Lucy sat in the chair and watched Ian as he pulled the food from the oven. He brought the salad out first and then came back carrying two more plates. Lastly, he returned with the salmon.

"Oh, I almost forgot" he said as he rushed to the kitchen again.

Lucy looked into the kitchen confused until suddenly she heard Taylor Swift's voice playing softly. Ian returned to the dining room carrying a bottle of wine and a cheesy grin on his face.

"Taylor Swift, huh?" she said smirking

"Well, I figured a little background music was necessary, and who's better than Taylor?" he said chuckling. He took Lucy's wine glass and filled it.

They each began to fill their plates and talking about their day until about half way through the meal.

"I'm so glad you could come tonight, Luce. I needed to see you" Ian said changing the tone of their conversation.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know. It's not that I thought you wouldn't come, I was just a little nervous of how this would all turn out. We've never had a real date before and with everything that was happening with Sophia...I was scared you would want to hold off on dating altogether again" he admitted.

Lucy took his hand in hers and looked at him. "I want to be with you Ian. I love you more than I have ever loved someone before. I mean, look at all of this! No other guy has come close to trying this hard for me, and although I don't know why you chose me, I love it. It feels good. You make me feel good."

Ian smiled. "Well you make me feel good too. And you know what? I am sick of trying to keep my feelings 'in check'", he said using air quotes, "because it doesn't work. It's like no matter how hard I try, I can't stay away from you" he said sincerely.

Suddenly Lucy chuckled. "You do know that you just quoted Ezra Fitz, right?"

Ian began to laugh with Lucy. "Yeah, I guess I did. But it's true. I'm done pretending I don't love you. I'll try to keep things under the radar for now, for Sophia's sake, but I'm not denying that I love you ever again. I've done it for three years and I am ready to tell the world that I love you."

Lucy shook her head in admiration and leaned over to kiss Ian. As she pulled away she started laughing. "You are so damn adorable. Seriously. How anyone can resist you, I will never understand."

* * *

After cleaning up the mess from dinner, Ian fell back on the couch and pulled Lucy into his lap kissing her shoulder and neck. She began to giggle and turned to snuggle into him more. He kissed her on the lips and then again on the nose.

Ian turned the TV on and surfed through the channels until Lucy spotted the movie 'Dear John'.

"Oh my God, 'Dear John' is on? It's such a good movie! Can we watch it?" she asked Ian excitedly.

Ian looked at Lucy and chuckled at her. He loved seeing her get so excited. He pressed the OK button on the remote and watched the satisfied grin cross Lucy's face. She leaned back on the arm of the couch and laid her legs across Ian's lap.

Ian ran his hands up each leg and casually pulled the heels off of Lucy's feet. He then began to massage each one. He looked down at her and saw pure adoration in her eyes.

He continued to massage Lucy's feet and calves while watching the movie until he heard sniffling coming from her direction. He turned his head towards her to find her crying softly.

"Hey, are you crying?" he asked, teasing slightly.

"Don't make fun of me! This is such a sad part!" she said smiling.

"Come here" he said as he pulled her back into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder as she snuggled into his side.

Lucy looked up to him and kissed him gently on the lips before diverting her attention onto the movie once again.

Ian was surprisingly into the movie and as it was coming to an end he looked down to find Lucy sleeping soundly, curled up at his side. He turned the TV off and gently lifted Lucy up and carried her to the bedroom.

As he opened the door, he remembered that he decked out the bedroom as well. Although he was a little dissapointed that he didn't get to utilize it the way he planned, Lucy looked so adorable in his arms, there was no way he could be upset.

As he walked into the bedroom, he laid Lucy on the bed gently and turned on the bedside lamp. Lucy's eyes fluttered open from the difference in light. She sat up, confused about where she was at.

"Hey, you fell asleep during the movie. Do you want to wear that dress to bed? I can give you more comfortable clothes if you want" Ian said softly.

"Oh. I'm sorry I didn't stay awake. I have to use the bathroom, I'll be back in a sec" Lucy said sleepily.

As Lucy got up to go to the bathroom, Ian pulled out a pair of linen pajama pants for himself and a big t-shirt for Lucy from his drawer and tossed them on top of his dresser. He pulled his shirt off and sat on the edge of the bed.

Lucy walked back into the bedroom, much more awake. She gasped in awe when she saw the rose petals and unlit candles within the room.

"Oh my God! Ian! This is beautiful!" she gasped. "Wait, when did you do this?"

"I did it this afternoon. I just wanted the whole night to be perfect for you" he said shyly.

"I'm so sorry I fell asleep, I messed up your plans" she said feeling guilty.

"Luce you didn't mess anything up! I did it for you, not for me" he said laughing.

Lucy smiled slightly and sauntered over to Ian. She stood between his legs and pressed her body to his as she kissed him lovingly.

As she pulled away she pressed her forehead to his. "Thank you...for everything. And you know, I'm awake now. And my perfect boyfriend created this romantic atmosphere...so we should probably use it the way it is meant to be used..." she said as she bit her lip.

Ian leaned forward and kissed Lucy hard on the lips. She kissed him back with just as much force and slowly pushed him down against the bed. She climbed onto the bed and straddled him as they started to kiss with more passion. Ian's hands caressed Lucy's thighs as he slowly eased her dress up.

Lucy's hands moved from his neck to his chest. She grazed her hands through the hair on his chest as her lips moved along his neck. The sensation of her lips caused a huge grin to form on Ian's face.

As she made her way lower, Ian suddenly flipped her over onto her back. He pinned her to the bed and gave her a seductive grin.

"I love where things were about to go, but tonight, I want it to be all about you" he said smiling at her.

Lucy's heart pounded hard against her chest. She wasn't used to the dominant side of Ian, but she kind of liked it. He kissed her tenderly on the lips then moved down her jaw to her neck. He began to leave wet kissed just under her ear, which she loved, and then grazed his teeth along her earlobe. Lucy shivered and groaned in appreciation.

Ian ran his hands up and down Lucy's sides and began teasing her by rubbing up her inner thighs and back down again. He continued to do so until he could tell she was getting frustrated.

"Touch me...please" she pleaded in his ear.

Ian moved his hand between her legs. He could tell she was turned on without even getting inside her panties. He began to touch her lightly with one hand, while his other hand grasped at her breast. Suddenly, Lucy reached down and in one swift movement, whipped her dress over her head. She was now only clad in her underwear.

Ian noticed she was not wearing a bra, which turned him on more than he already was. This was the initiative he needed to get things moving. He slid Lucy's panties slowly down her legs and began to stroke her firmly. Needing more of his touch, she arched her back. He cupped her breast in one hand and began kissing and sucking on the other with his mouth. He inserted a finger, then two into her opening and could feel her coming close to an orgasm.

He began pumping his fingers in and out quicker, bringing her even closer to the brink. Before she was able to orgasm though, he stopped his fingers and moved his mouth down to pleasure her. Within a minute she was spiraling into her first orgasm.

After catching her breath, Lucy unbuttoned Ian's jeans quickly and tugged his pants and boxer briefs down his legs. She stroked him a few times before he reached into the nightstand to find a condom. After a few seconds of searching, Ian moved over to look into the drawer to find that he was reaching into an empty box.

"Fuck" he mumbled quietly.

"What? Please do not tell me that you don't have condoms" Lucy pleaded.

"I thought I had more, but apparently we used the last one the last time you were here" he said irritated. He said another few curse words under his breath.

Lucy grabbed Ian's face and brought it to hers. "I don't care. I need you so fucking bad right now. Just pull out in time" she said as she pressed her lips to his.

Ian looked at Lucy in shock, but had his usual boyish grin on his face. He silently asked if she was sure and when Lucy nodded, he entered her in one swift movement. Although Ian would prefer to use a condom to be safe, he would be lying if he said that not using a condom felt a hell of a lot better. He didn't think sex could get better with Lucy, but sex with Lucy, without a condom _was_ even better.

He began to pump into her slowly at first. They kissed tenderly until they both became closer to an orgasm. He began to pump in and out quicker as both of their pulses raced. As Lucy began to have her second orgasm, Ian couldn't take it and pulled out quickly, coming onto Lucy's stomach.

Sitting up quickly Ian took a few tissues from the nightstand to wipe down Lucy's stomach and threw the used tissues away. He laid down on the bed and pulled Lucy's limp body on top of his. He began to leave featherlight kisses along her lips, jaw, neck and shoulders in appreciation.

Lucy looked into Ian's eyes with more love than she had ever felt before. "I love you" she whispered.

"I love you too, babe" he said smiling at her.

Smiling, she snuggled down into Ian and traced shapes on his chest until she drifted off to sleep. Ian watched in contentment at the gorgeous figure lying next to him. He kissed the top of her head and sighed. This was only the first day of the best days of his life.


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long to update! This is a filler chapter that started off strong, but I quickly lost interest. It is so far probably my least favorite chapter to write. I think I have been too focused on what is to come! A few of you have asked me if I would do a Lucian Christmas and I promise it will be coming soon! Time will go by a little bit faster in the chapters coming, so be aware of that. Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you all! I promise to update sooner next chapter :)**

Chapter 39

The next morning, Ian woke up to a softly snoring Lucy. He smiled to himself as he thought about waking up to her everyday. Slowly he rolled over to look at the clock and found that it was a little after 10 am. He sat up and gently got out of bed, cautious not to wake up his sleeping girlfriend.

Ian showered and got around for the day and decided to brew some coffee, knowing Lucy would want to wake up to some. Once it was ready he poured some into two mugs and brought them to the bedroom. He settled one of the mugs on the bedside table closest to Lucy and sat his on the table closest to his side of the bed. He slid into bed, wrapping his arms around Lucy's waist and resting his chin on her shoulder from behind.

"Good morning, beautiful" he said softly. "I brought you some coffee."

He nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck as she began to stir. She didn't move much, but rolled over slowly with a grimace on her face. Caught off guard, Ian thought he caused it and moved away a bit.

"I don't feel good" Lucy croaked. "I feel really nauseous right now."

Relieved her face wasn't from him, Ian moved closer and pressed a cool hand to her forehead in concern.

"Babe, you are burning up! Let me get the thermometer" he said as he ran to the bathroom.

Ian returned carrying the temporal thermometer and swiped it across Lucy's forehead.

"Yeah, you are definitely sick. Your temperature is 102.5" Ian said, concerned. He squatted down next to her and smoothed her hair away from her face. "Did this just come on? Or did you feel like this all night?"

"Just now. I felt fine yesterday and I slept sound through the night. I really hope I didn't come down with the flu..." she said groaning.

"Well it _is_ going around...but how about I let you sleep some more. Maybe if you get some more sleep you will feel better. I'm going to get you some ibuprofen to get rid of your fever though. I'll be back in a second" Ian said, kissing her forehead as he left the room.

A few minutes later, Ian returned with the pills and a glass of water. He handed them to Lucy and perched on the side of the bed next to her. She sat up slowly and closed her eyes, clutching the sheet to cover her chest.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he rubbed her back soothingly.

"Yeah, I'm just really dizzy and feel as if I could throw up" she said after choking down the pills.

"Lie back down. Should I bring the trashcan to the side of the bed?" Ian asked cautiously.

"I think I will be alright. I'm going to just sleep anyway" Lucy answered.

"Okay, well here," Ian said as he brought the unused t-shirt on the dresser to her, "you can put this on if you'd like. Don't feel like you have to though" he said smirking.

A small smile appeared on her face as she pulled Ian's t-shirt over her head. "Well I'm sure on any other day you would prefer me to be naked, but I am far from sexy when I am sick" she said lying down slowly into her previous position.

"You are sexy to me no matter what. And although you look amazing with nothing on, seeing you in my t-shirt is a turn on as well" Ian said as he tucked her in. "Now sleep. I'll check on you in an hour."

After kissing her gently on the temple, Ian closed the door over and went to the living room. He picked up the newspaper and began reading it as he sipped on his coffee. After finishing the newspaper, Ian talked to his sister Sarah on the phone briefly and made plans to get lunch the following Saturday.

Once he was off the phone he checked the time and found that it was a little over an hour since he last checked on Lucy. He walked to the bedroom door and quietly opened it to find her sleeping soundly. He quietly made his way to the side of the bed and placed his hand to her forehead. Her fever had subsided, making Ian sigh in relief.

Lucy began to stir from Ian's touch. Her eyes fluttered open and focused on him.

"Hey" he said softly as he pushed her hair back. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty much the same" she said quietly. She reached up and touched Ian's cheek. "Thank you so much for taking care of me. I love you."

Ian bent down and kissed her gently. "I love you too, and I love taking care of you. But I think you should try eating. It is almost 1 in the afternoon. I can make you whatever you want."

"But I'm not hungry..." Lucy pouted. "Can't I just sleep?"

"You can sleep, but you need to eat, Luce. Do you want chicken noodle soup? I'll make you some if you want it."

"I guess...but I might not eat very much" she said reluctantly.

Ian kissed her on the forehead and smiled. "Anything is better than nothing! I am going to run to Ralphs to get some chicken...do you need anything?" he asked.

Suddenly Lucy looked to have remembered something. "Crap! I need to feed Jack!" she said as she sat up slowly.

"Hey, it's fine. I'll go feed him. I'll just take your keys with me" Ian said.

"Are you sure? I can go..." Lucy said.

"No. Rest. I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you" Ian said as he left the bedroom.

* * *

About an hour after he left, Lucy heard Ian arrive back home. She was confused by the sound that seemed to be coming closer to the door. Just then, the door opened to reveal Ian smiling and a scampering Jack at his feet.

Lucy sat up slowly beaming at Ian. "You brought Jack here?" she asked, shocked and excited.

"I did. I figured you could be here for a little while so I thought I would bring him to you. Plus he might make you feel better faster" Ian said as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Well my stomach isn't but I am so happy that you are home, and that you brought my baby with you! I can't thank you enough, Ian. I swear I don't deserve someone as sweet as you..." Lucy said peering into his blue eyes.

Ian wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. "You deserve more than what I can ever give you, Luce. But I am going to get that soup going so you can try to eat. I'll bring it in soon."

Lucy watched him walk out of the bedroom, Jack jumping excitedly at his heels. A smile crossed her face to see him interact so well with Jack. Chris never once seemed to be that interested in her dog, but only his. She shook the thoughts from her mind and laid back against the pillows. Reaching for the remote, she turned the TV on and watched mindlessly.

* * *

Just as Lucy was beginning to doze off again, Ian returned to the bedroom carrying a small bowl of chicken noodle soup and some bread. He placed it on the bedside table and kissed her forehead waking her.

"Hi, I brought you some soup" he said handing it to her. "Just eat what you can."

He crawled in to the bed next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Lucy lifted the spoon to her lips and blew on it before putting it in her mouth. She swallowed and looked to Ian smiling.

"This is really good, baby. Thank you for making it for me" she said as she kissed his cheek.

"I'm glad you like it. I just want you to feel better. I hate seeing you sick" Ian said sympathetically.

"Well you are great at taking care of me. I'm so thankful I have you. Seriously, I don't know what I did to deserve you in my life" Lucy said incredulously.

"Luce, you better get used to it. Because if you are going to be with me, you better get used to me taking care of you when you are sick and spoiling you any chance I get. Because if I could give you the world, I would, and that still wouldn't be enough" Ian said sweetly.

Lucy shook her head in astonishment. "I love you."

Ian kissed her temple. "I love you, too. Now get some rest. I am going to go for a run while you sleep" he said as he took the empty soup bowl from her hands. "I'll have my phone on me if you need anything" he said.

* * *

Ian returned about an hour later and kicked off his shoes in the doorway. He was sweaty and in need of a shower, but decided to check on Lucy first. He entered the bedroom and found the spot where Lucy previously was, empty. He furrowed his brow, suddenly worried as to where she was. Noticing the bathroom door was shut he knocked on it softly.

"Luce? Are you in there?" he asked.

He heard her cough and flush the toilet. "Yeah, you can come in" she said, her voice sounding scratchy.

Carefully he opened the door to find Lucy sitting on the floor, next to the toilet, with her head in her hands. Ian rushed to her side.

"Oh my God, Luce, did you get sick? You could have called and I would have come home sooner" he said stroking her hair away from her face.

"I was sleeping and I woke up feeling really sick. I feel a lot better after throwing up actually" she said looking at him.

Ian enveloped Lucy into a hug then lifted her, carrying her to the bed. He kissed her gently before getting into the shower. Once he was out, he ate some of the leftover soup and retreated to the bedroom to accompany his sick girlfriend.

Lucy seemed to be feeling better than she had all day. She was sitting up in bed watching "How I Met Your Mother" reruns. Ian stripped down to his boxer briefs and climbed in next to Lucy. She cuddled into his side and kissed him briefly before being overcome by sleep. Ian continued to watch the show on TV until he too fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning Lucy seemed to feel much better. She was up before Ian and even was able to eat toast and keep it down. After showering, she was walking back into Ian's bedroom to find some clothes to wear when he finally decided to wake up. Not noticing that he was awake, Lucy pulled one of Ian's t-shirts from his drawer and dropped the towel from around her body to slip it on.

"Damn. I could get used to this view every morning" Ian said startling Lucy.

She clutched the t-shirt to her chest as she turned around quickly to find Ian lying on his back with his arms behind his head, with his signature boyish grin across his face.

"You scared me half to death! I didn't know you were awake!" she exclaimed. She pulled the oversized t-shirt over her head and joined him on the bed.

Leaning over, Ian kissed her gently before speaking. "Well I heard the bathroom door open and I wanted to make sure you were okay...but then I saw you standing naked in front of me..." he trailed off as he ran his hand along her jaw.

Lucy began giggling, pulling Ian from the moment slightly.

"What?" he asked confused.

"Nothing. It's just...you" Lucy said as she began giggling again.

"What did I do?" he asked feigning hurt.

"You are just adorable. And I love that I do this to you" she said looking down at his growing bulge under the sheets. "Oh, and to answer your question I do feel better than yesterday. Not quite myself though."

Laughing at Lucy's cuteness, Ian pulled her towards him and began kissing her all over her face, neck and shoulders.

* * *

Later that night, Lucy and Ian were lounging on the couch together in their pajamas. Lucy was munching on crackers while they talked aimlessly. Once there was a pause in their conversation Lucy looked up at Ian and changed the subject.

"So what are we going to tell people...you know, about us? Are we dating or...?" Lucy asked awkwardly.

Ian pulled Lucy in closer. "We can tell people whatever you want. I would prefer to keep it private for a little while, but that is up to you."

"I want to do whatever you are comfortable with" Lucy said looking into his deep blue eyes.

Ian smiled and cradled her face in his hands. "How about we have fun with it? Let's keep people guessing. We don't say we are dating, but we don't say we're not. It could be fun" he said smiling.

"Haven't we been doing that though? For I don't know, like the last 3 years?" Lucy said laughing.

"We have. But this time we _are _together. Maybe at least until we wrap this season. I know I don't want to hurt Sophia by rubbing you in her face, but I also don't want Chris to do something that hurts you. This way we're sort of protecting both of our asses."

Lucy nodded in agreement. "Okay, you have a point. Starting tomorrow, let the games begin!"


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N: So this chapter is a mix of fluff and drama. It'll get a little bit cliche in this chapter, you will know when you see it, but I hope that it works well. I have big plans in the future chapters so this was necessary for the storyline. I am still looking for things you would like to see happen in future chapters! Many have said a wedding and a baby, which will happen eventually, but I need other ideas! If you have any, leave them in a review or tweet them to me flawednfab1! Love you all and hope you enjoy the chapter :)**

Chapter 40

Morning came early for Lucy as she was awaken by butterfly kisses along her hairline from Ian. She was exhausted and didn't want to open her eyes, but Ian's kisses coaxed her to. When her hazel eyes met his blue ones he kissed her gently on the lips.

"Good morning" he said with a huge smile playing on his lips.

"Morning" Lucy said sleepily.

"Sorry to wake you, but we have to be on set at 10 this morning" Ian said apologetically. "And you look so damn cute when you sleep."

Lucy's cheeks flushed at the compliment. "What time is it?"

"7:30" Ian said simply.

"Are you serious? I can sleep for another hour!" she pouted as she snuggled into his chest.

Ian raised her chin with his thumb and index finger and kissed her hoping to change her mind. Luckily for him, it seemed to work.

Lucy kissed Ian back with a little more force and pulled away, pressing her forehead to his.

"You know this isn't fair right? I can't say no to you" she said giggling.

Ian raised his eyebrows and nodded before slipping his tongue into her mouth. Lucy groaned and pushed her body as close to his as she could. Ian responded by clutching at her body through the t-shirt of his that she was wearing.

Suddenly, Lucy swung her leg over Ian's hip and rolled over so that she was straddling him. She pulled his t-shirt over her head and bent down to continue kissing him. Within minutes they were completely naked.

Before things got too heated, Lucy pulled away from Ian's lips. "Did you get more condoms?" she panted.

Beaming proudly back at her, Ian hurriedly pulled a new box of condoms from the beside drawer.

Smiling and shaking her head at him, Lucy took the box, ripping it open to retrieve the foil packet she desired. After rolling it down onto Ian, she returned her lips to his, passion radiating between them.

* * *

Several minutes later Lucy lied on top of Ian, kissing his chest as she came down from the high she was on. Finally, she realized the time and figured they better get up before they were late.

"I'm going to go get in the shower...I'll be back in a few" she said seductively as she planted a kiss on his lips. She hopped out of bed and sauntered to the bathroom, swaying her hips as she walked. After closing the door over, she turned on the shower and pulled a fluffy towel out of the linen closet. Just as she was about to get in, she heard the door swing open.

Before she could turn around, she felt strong arms wrap around her waist and Ian's bare chest pressed firmly against her back. He began kissing her neck, until she turned around to meet his lips.

Slowly backing her up towards the shower, Ian opened the shower door and gently led her into it. He continued to lead her backwards until she was up against the wall of the shower. Ian continued to kiss her passionately until finally Lucy broke the kiss.

"Ian, we have to actually shower or we will be late" she said laughing a little as he continued to kiss her neck and collarbone.

Ian sighed and pressed his forehead to hers. "I love you, but sometimes I hate when you are responsible" he said laughing.

Lucy slapped him playfully and grabbed the shampoo off the ledge. She squirted a generous amount into her hand and began to lather it into her hair. As she began working it into a lather, Ian stood behind her and began massaging her scalp, allowing her to drop her arms and relax. He continued to lather the shampoo into her hair for the next few minutes until he spun her around and pushed her gently under the stream of water. As the shampoo slowly rinsed from her hair, she kissed him lightly before returning the favor. What started as a 5 minute shower turned into a 40 minute shower. Upon realizing this, they both got out and got dressed quickly and drove to set.

* * *

Ian was able to drive to set with only two minute to spare. He locked the doors as he and Lucy got out of the car and walked in with his arm around her. Once they were inside the studio, they parted ways. Lucy needed to go straight to hair and makeup, and Ian needed to stop by his dressing room.

Once Lucy was done in hair and makeup, she swung by her dressing room. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach and ran to the bathroom to empty what contents were in her stomach into the toilet. After vomiting she felt instantly better. She brushed her teeth and got dressed in her Aria attire. Although she felt better, the fact that she was still throwing up randomly worried her. She pushed her thoughts aside as she made her way to shoot her scene with Ian.

The scene they were working on was a short one, and only took a little over an hour to shoot. A few different people commented that Lucy and Ian seemed to be in great moods. The comments made both of them smile since they were in great moods, but only they knew why.

* * *

After shooting, Lucy and Ian went to their separate dressing rooms. Lucy dressed quickly and picked up her things before making her way to Ian's room. She knocked on the door before letting herself in. Ian was just buttoning his jeans when he saw Lucy smiling at him.

"Damn. I came just a little too late" Lucy teased as Ian pulled his shirt over his head.

"I can undress if that makes you happier" he said grinning at her.

She slapped him playfully and went in for a kiss. Just before things would be able to move further, another knock came to the door. Ian's brows furrowed in confusion, wondering who would be at the door.

As he opened it, Keegan stood on the other side. "Hey, you done shooting?" Keegan asked.

"Um, yeah I just finished. What's up?" Ian responded.

Keegan entered Ian's dressing room, not expecting to see Lucy sitting on the couch in front of him.

"Oh, hey Luce! Didn't expect to see you in here!" he said surprised.

"Yeah I just stopped over after we shot our scene. I can leave if you need to talk to Ian..." she said cautiously.

"No, no. Sorry, I interrupted you guys. I didn't think anyone was in here" he said apologetically. He looked to Ian, "I'll just talk to you later, okay?"

"Sounds good, man" Ian said smirking at the knowing look on Keegan's face.

"See you later, Luce!" Keegan said as he left Ian's room.

Lucy said goodbye to Keegan and looked to Ian, confused.

"What was that about?" she asked curiously.

Ian smiled shyly. "Eh, I don't know for sure, but I think it had something to do with us" he said laughing.

"He knows?!" Lucy asked incredulously.

"Well he knows how I feel about _you_" he replied. "He doesn't know we are together though."

Lucy laughed to herself. "He was so embarrassed. I didn't know why, but I guess I can understand if he thought he was interrupting something."

Ian sat on the couch, close to Lucy. "Well if I remember right, he was interrupting something."

Lucy leaned in and kissed Ian tenderly. He pulled her into his lap as his tongue begged for entrance into her mouth. She allowed it until suddenly she felt sick again.

She pulled away suddenly and ran to the bathroom, afraid she was going to throw up. Ian followed her in confusion and leaned down to grab her hair. Lucy had nothing in her stomach, so she ended up only dry heaving. She wiped her mouth and looked to Ian with an unreadable look on her face.

"Luce, I thought you were feeling better?" Ian asked.

"I was. I am. I have no idea what is going on. I feel 100% better but I keep randomly getting bouts of nausea and then I puke. I have no idea why..."

Ian placed his hand on her forehead to check for a fever. "You don't feel feverish. Maybe you aren't completely over what you had Saturday" he offered.

Lucy bit her lip and nodded as she stood up from the ground. She went into the main room and began pacing slowly. Ian walked into the room and looked to Lucy.

"Luce, what's going on? Is there something you're not telling me?" he asked worriedly.

"No. I mean, I don't know" she started.

Ian led her to the couch and sat down. He pushed her hair away from her face comfortingly. "What do you mean? Babe, you can tell me" he coaxed.

Lucy sighed as she began picking at the nail polish on her thumb. "Well you know how Friday we, uh, didn't use a condom?" she asked.

Ian's eyes went wide in shock, hoping she wasn't going to say what he thought she was.

Lucy noticed the panic in Ian's eyes. "I'm not pregnant!" she said quickly. "Well at least I hope not. That is what I am worried about though. What if I am? I've never had sex without a condom, ever. I've never been into it that much where I felt that it was worth it..." she trailed off.

Ian sighed in relief. "I haven't either, Luce. But do you _think_ you're pregnant? Is that what this is about?" he asked, still scared.

"I don't know. I mean, I don't think so...I hope not anyway. My period isn't due for about a week so I don't know. But when I woke up sick Saturday that was my first thought. I know that if I was pregnant I wouldn't have nausea and morning sickness already, but my thoughts automatically went there. And now I am puking randomly...I'm just scared I guess. I don't want to be pregnant" she said trying not to cry.

Ian hugged Lucy tightly as he tried to find the words to say. He wanted nothing more than to know that she wasn't pregnant, but if she was he wanted her to know that he would be supportive. After a long silence he cupped her face. "Look Luce, I don't think you are, I mean we were careful" he said as confidently as possible.

"How do you figure we were careful? We didn't use a condom!" she said as tears blurred her vision.

"We were as careful as we could be without using a condom, I guess is what I am trying to say. Babe, I doubt you are, but _if_ we find out that you are, we'll get through it together. I promise I am not going anywhere" he said as he wiped away the tears.

Lucy nodded and closed her eyes to keep the tears at bay. "I don't think I am either, but the thought has been eating away at me for the past few days. I think I am literally worrying myself sick" she admitted.

"Oh Luce..." Ian said as he pulled her to his chest. "Do you want me to go pick you up a pregnancy test? I'll run over to Walgreens now and get one if you want to be sure one way or another" he offered.

Lucy shook her head in panic. "No! No I don't want you to. I mean it may not be accurate anyway since I haven't missed a period or anything. I'll just wait until next week and hope I get my period" she said miserably.

Ian kissed the top of her head protectively. "Look, whatever happens, I love you, okay? I will do whatever I need to to make sure you are happy. I'm glad you trusted me enough to tell me this."

Lucy snuggled into his chest and breathed in his scent for comfort. "I love you, too."

* * *

The next week dragged on as Lucy waited impatiently for her period to arrive. She had never wanted it so bad in her life. Ian was being extra sweet all week, which Lucy appreciated, but it also made Annie wonder.

Friday afternoon Lucy came home from set and found a huge bouquet of flowers from Ian on the table. As she was reading the tiny card that came with it, Annie entered the room.

"So what did he do?" she asked.

"What do you mean? He didn't do anything!" Lucy said confused.

"Why did he send you these then?" she asked pointing at the flowers.

Lucy shrugged, hoping that she would change the subject.

"Or how about him bringing you coffee and donuts on Wednesday, or coming over and making you dinner last night?" Annie asked suspiciously.

"He's just a sweet guy, Banan" Lucy said smiling.

"He didn't piss you off?" Annie said squinting her eyes in doubt.

"Not at all. Quite the opposite actually" Lucy said beaming.

Annie smiled and shook her head. "He must be whipped then" she said laughing.

Lucy giggled along with her friend. She would let her believe that Ian was whipped, because believing that would be much better than having to tell her the real reason he was being extra sweet.

* * *

Not only did Annie notice Ian's excessively loving behavior, the cast and crew did too. During the week, Ian swung by to pick Lucy up for work, which the cast found suspicious.

On Wednesday, while waiting to film, Lucy and Troian sat close to stage talking.

"So what's up with you and Harding showing up to work together?" she asked suspiciously.

"We just have the same schedule so we figured it would be more convenient that way" Lucy said, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

Troian shook her head laughing. "You guys are hooking up aren't you!"

Lucy laughed and shrugged. "I'm not going to say anything!"

"LucyGoose! You are! Oh my God! Details, now!" she said shaking Lucy in excitement.

"There's nothing to tell!" Lucy teased.

Just then Shay walked up. "What are we trying to get out of her?" she asked Troian.

"She and Harding are definitely hooking up! I'm just trying to get some details!" she said laughing.

"What?! Luce, since when?" Shay asked excitedly.

"Who said we were hooking up? I never did!" Lucy replied laughing. She loved messing with their minds.

Suddenly, Ashley appeared, not seeming very happy.

"Hey what's wrong?" Shay asked Ashley.

"Nothing. I just went to breakfast with Ryan and he's being an ass. I don't know how much more I can take" she said grumpily.

"Well if it makes you feel better, Luce and Ian are having sex, probably like daily!" Troian said teasing Lucy.

Lucy's face flushed crimson as she denied Troian's accusations.

"Well what's new? They have been for like 3 years..." Ashley said in a seemingly rude way.

Lucy was taken aback by Ashley's harshness. She pushed it aside hoping that it was only because of her own relationship issues.

Within minutes the girls were due to shoot. Throughout filming, Troian and Shay begged Lucy to give some details while Lucy laughed and gave nothing about their relationship. Exasperated, the girls gave up, but promised to continue their interrogation on a different day.

* * *

The weekend rolled around finally, which Lucy was relieved about. She was due to get her period on Friday, which was a signal of her upcoming fate. When Friday came and past with no period, Lucy panicked.

Lying in bed Friday night, Ian could tell something was wrong with Lucy. She was quiet and seemed distant.

"Are you okay?" he asked cautiously. "You seem upset."

Lucy rolled over to face Ian. "I was supposed to start my period today" she said bluntly. Tears began rolling down her cheeks as she thought of the possibility of being pregnant.

Ian swallowed hard and pulled Lucy into his chest and rubbed her back soothingly as she sobbed. "Shh it'll be ok, Luce. Maybe you are late because you are stressing so much" he offered.

"I've never been late though. What if I am pregnant? What will I tell my family? They will hate me!" Lucy said panicking.

"Hey, hey, they will not hate you. Luce, I still don't think you are pregnant. We should get you a test to find out though, that way you can have some peace" he said soothingly, although he felt like vomiting from the news.

"I'm scared though. I don't think I even want to know" she said as she began sobbing into his chest again. She continued to sob until she was unable to cry anymore. After her face had dried, she slowly was overtaken by sleep.

* * *

The rest of the weekend went just as Friday. Ian and Lucy decided they would wait the weekend out and if she didn't start by Monday, they would get a pregnancy test on their way home from the table read.

As Monday morning arrived, Lucy was increasingly irritated. She was exhausted from stressing out so much and just wanted to get the table read over so they could go get her a pregnancy test.

On their way to set, Ian looked over at Lucy who was staring out the window quietly and took her hand. "I love you. No matter what" he reassured her.

She gave him a slight smile. "Thanks, I love you too" she said quietly.

"And if you, _we_, are having a baby, I will love that baby more than anything" Ian said seriously.

"I know you will, you will be a great daddy. I'm just hoping it doesn't happen quite yet..." she responded.

Ian nodded and leaned over to kiss her temple as they were pulling into the studio parking lot. After exiting the car, they walked into the studio together, Lucy hanging onto Ian's arm.

They entered the room for the finale table read and took their seats. Within minutes they were going through the script. Because they were there during lunch time, they took a break half way through.

Throughout the first half of the table read, Lucy felt slightly nauseous and had a headache and cramps. As soon as they stopped for lunch, she excused herself to the bathroom.

Lucy walked into the single person bathroom and locked the door behind her. She pulled her phone from her pocket and placed it on the sink before using the toilet. To her surprise, her period had just started. She instantly began crying and shakily washed her hands before sending Ian a text to meet her in the bathroom. She needed to tell him the great news, but she didn't want to tell him with other people around. The bathroom would have to do.

A few minutes later there was a knock at the door. Lucy nervously opened it to find Ian standing on the other side. She pulled him in quickly and wrapped her arms around his neck, surprising him.

"Hey" he said confused. "What's going on? Why did you call me into the bathroom?"

Lucy took Ian's face in her hands and looked at him with teary eyes. "We're not going to be parents! Well, at least not yet! I had to tell you, but I didn't want to say anything with others around" she said excitedly.

Ian let out a sigh of relief and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, twirling her around. He kissed her lightly on the lips, breaking the kiss by smiling widely.

"I'm so happy right now!" Lucy said giggling in excitement.

Ian smiled down at Lucy and pulled her tightly against his chest, kissing her hair. Lucy smiled and let her tears dry against his shirt. After several minutes Ian pulled Lucy away and wiped at the drying mascara on Lucy's face. She turned to the bathroom mirror and fixed her appearance the best she could.

"We should probably get back in there before people wonder where we are" Ian said quietly.

Lucy nodded in agreement as they walked from the bathroom to crafty, hand in hand. They each picked up some lunch before heading back to the table read. Both Ian and Lucy found it close to impossible to contain their happiness and found relief as soon as the table read came to a close.

After saying their goodbyes to the cast, Lucy and Ian left for the car. Once they were in their seats Ian looked over to Lucy grinning and as soon as she looked back, he went in for a passionate kiss. He pulled her face closer to his as she ran her hand through his hair. As they stopped to catch their breath, Ian felt eyes on him. He looked out the back windshield to find Troian, Shay, and Keegan walking from the building staring at them and smiling.

"Shit..." he said slowly.

"What?" Lucy asked confused.

"They know..."


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N: Okay, so we are finally getting a little closer to the fun stuff I have had planned for Lucy and Ian. Only a few more chapters! You will get a glimpse of how some of the cast reacts to Lucy and Ian dating in this chapter, and it will continue into chapter 42. I am going to try to post up to chapter 45 by the end of the week, (we'll see if I am successful) because I have family and friends coming to stay at my house this Friday all the way through the second week of January. So, unfortunately that means I will be much slower at updating those weeks. I'll do what I can and I promise to post the Christmas chapter before Christmas actually comes haha. As always, please review, it gives me so much more motivation to write! Love you all! Xx**

Chapter 41

Lucy looked to Ian as they sat in the car with a look of panic on her face. Shay, Troian, and Keegan had all witnessed them kissing, exposing their hidden relationship.

"Well, what should we do?" Ian asked, not diverting his attention from Lucy. "We can either leave and pretend we didn't notice them, or we can get out and try to explain ourselves."

Lucy sighed and quickly decided they should pretend they didn't see them. They needed the time to figure out the answer to the obvious questions that were coming.

As Ian pulled out of the parking lot, he waved to Keegan who was grinning ear to ear. Once they were on the road, he looked to Lucy and began to laugh.

"I cannot believe we just got caught. It's been a week. I didn't think we would be able to hide it for very long, but c'mon! A week?" he said continuing to chuckle.

Lucy began to laugh with him. "So why don't we just tell them that we are dating? They aren't going to buy any of our excuses, they clearly just saw us making out. I think we should...we can trust them to keep our secret" she said trying to convince Ian.

He nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we might as well. There is no denying what they saw. What can I say. You are just so irresistible I couldn't help myself!" he said smirking at her.

* * *

A few minutes later they arrived at Lucy's apartment. Ian planned on staying over with her, since she had been staying at his place the past week. They entered the apartment, and were greeted by an excited Jack. Ian picked up the small dog and began talking to him in baby talk as he nuzzled him.

Lucy watched Ian with Jack and it warmed her heart. She suddenly thought of what Ian would have been like, had she been pregnant. She felt her heart sink a little, but pulled herself from the thought. She was happy she wasn't pregnant, she didn't have time to be.

Ian placed Jack back on the ground and wrapped his arms around Lucy's waist. He pulled her towards him and kissed her gently. He looked down to find Jack standing on his hind legs up against his leg.

"You like Ian, don't you Jacky boy?" Lucy said laughing.

"Wanna take him for a walk?" Ian asked, smiling.

"Really? He would love that, Ian!" she said excitedly.

Walking to the closet in the hall, Lucy pulled down Jack's long, red leash. She hooked it onto his collar as Ian took the handle. As they exited the building, he took Lucy's hand in his.

* * *

Although they were only walking down to the dog park, Lucy couldn't help but feel the butterflies in her stomach from being in public with Ian. They were rarely seen together in public, and when they were, it was for an event that they arrived separately to.

Once they arrived at the park, Lucy unhooked Jack's leash to allow him to run around freely for a while. She sat on a bench, Ian following suit. They began to make small talk until Ian noticed that Lucy seemed nervous.

"Are you okay?" he asked carefully.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just...we've never been out together in public, and I know you want to keep this on the DL. I just don't want anyone to notice us because news of that will spread like wildfire" she said honestly.

Ian grabbed Lucy's hand and kissed her knuckles. "Look, if going to the dog park gets us caught, I don't want to keep this a secret. We should be able to go out and do this kind of stuff as a couple. If not you might as well call us Aria and Ezra."

Lucy laughed, relieved. "Okay. Well I agree, I don't want to be cooped up in my apartment or your house all the time. I'm just glad you feel the same way."

Ian smiled and pulled Lucy in close as they watched Jack roam around, checking out his surroundings. Lucy couldn't help but feel as if Ian and Jack were her little family, and the thought brought a smile to her face.

After an ample amount of free time, Lucy called Jack to and they set back for home. Once they made it to the apartment, Lucy opened the door to find Annie in the kitchen.

"Aww if it isn't for the wittle family" she teased in a baby voice.

"I know, aren't we just the cutest thing?" Lucy said back, giggling. She returned Jack's leash to the closet after unhooking it from his collar.

"So what are your guy's plans for tonight?" Annie asked.

Lucy looked to Ian who shrugged his shoulders. "Well I'm not really sure. We will probably just hang out here for the night since we have to be to set early tomorrow" Lucy stated.

"Oh alright. Well I am going to go to Drew's in about a half an hour, so you will have the place to yourself for awhile" Annie said smirking.

Lucy shook her head, stifling a laugh. She looked to Ian and saw that he was blushing, which made Lucy giggle out loud. She watched Ian flop down on the couch, trying to distract himself from their girl talk.

* * *

As soon as Annie left, Lucy went to her bedroom to change. She came back into the living room wearing a tiny pair of sleep boxers and a tank top. As soon as Ian saw, he smirked.

"Why wear clothes at all?" he asked, humor in his voice.

"What?" Lucy asked confused.

"What is the point in wearing clothes at all if the ones you are going to put on are so tiny?" Ian asked pulling Lucy into his lap.

She giggled as she searched for something on TV. "Well, maybe it's because I think it's fun to tease you" she said smiling. "Yes! Toddlers and Tiaras is on!" she cried excitedly.

"I don't think so!" Ian said reaching for the remote. "There is no way in hell you are getting me to watch Toddlers and Tiaras!"

"Hey, it's my place, you can watch the shows I like" she teased, as she held the remote away from him.

Pushing her down to the couch he reached for the remote. "Well I'm stronger than you so I say we won't watch it!" he said laughing.

She held the remote as far away from Ian as she could. When he couldn't quite reach it, he began tickling her sides causing her to scream and giggle loudly.

"Stop! Ian, this is not fair!" she yelled between fits of giggles. She tossed the remote across the floor causing Ian to stand up to go retrieve it. She grabbed his leg making him fall to the ground. She jumped on his back and tackled him to the floor as she reached out to fetch the remote.

She was so close, until Ian rolled over, pinning Lucy beneath him. "Oh, so we're gonna play dirty, huh?" he said laughing. "I can play that way too." With that he began to squeeze her inner thigh, which he knew was her most ticklish spot. As she began to break free from his tickle torture, he pinned her arms above her head and continued until she was laughing so hard she wasn't making any sound and tears were rolling down her cheeks.

As he stopped tickling her he pecked her on the lips and gave her a sly smile. "So I hope you know this means I win."

Lucy wiped the tears away from her face. "You may have won this time, Harding, but I promise you I will get you back."

Ian bent down and kissed Lucy again, this time a little more passionately. She kissed him back, running her tongue across his bottom lip. He allowed her to slip it into his mouth and he rolled over so that she was now lying on top of him. Before things got too heated he pulled away, kissing her gently on the nose.

"We better stop now," he said shaking his head, "because if I don't now, I know I won't be able to."

Lucy pouted. Although she was extremely excited that she had her period as an indication of no pregnancy, this was the downfall. Ian sat up and pulled her into his lap, laughing at her cuteness. He kissed her pouty lips, making her smile.

"I love you. Even when you are pouting" he said grinning at her.

"Good, because I have a feeling I will be pouting a lot this week" she said.

* * *

The next morning Lucy woke up to a snoring Jack. She rolled over to find him lying next to her sound asleep. Looking at her phone, Lucy found that she only had 7 more minutes until her alarm would go off. Instead of trying to go back to sleep, she decided she would get into the shower. Carefully, she peeled Ian's arm from around her waist and walked to the bathroom, shutting the door quietly.

A shower is exactly what Lucy needed. She felt much more awake and was ready to start her day. Opening the door from the bathroom, Lucy found Ian still sleeping soundly in her bed. She began to giggle when she noticed that Jack moved and was now lying right behind Ian's bent knees.

Making her way to the side of the bed Ian was on, Lucy bent down and placed a light kiss on his lips. At first he didn't notice, but after a second kiss he began to stir. Seconds later his eyes fluttered open and he smiled when they focused on Lucy, clad in a towel.

"Well _good morning_" he said as he raised his eyebrows at her attire.

"Good morning handsome" Lucy replied. "We have to be to set in about an hour, so you should probably get up!"

Ian groaned as he threw his legs over the side of the bed. After yawning and stretching he followed Lucy into her closet and stood behind her wrapping his arms around her tiny waist. He kissed her gently on the cheek.

"So what would you like me to make you for breakfast?" he asked, his voice still low from just waking.

"Babe, you don't need to make me breakfast! If anything, I should make you breakfast, since this is my place" Lucy replied.

"But I like cooking for you" Ian pouted.

Lucy turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Well, you can cook anything you'd like. I love when you cook for me, but I don't want you to feel like you _have_ to."

"I know. But I _want_ to. So I am going to get dressed and then I will make us food. I'll let you know when it's ready" he said smiling.

Lucy nodded and watched Ian walk to the bathroom, only wearing his boxer briefs. She blushed slightly when she noticed that she was staring. Shaking herself from her thoughts, she took a shirt and some dark washed skinny jeans from her closet and slipped them on quickly.

* * *

After getting herself around for the day, Lucy made her way to the kitchen where Ian was finishing breakfast. She went to the pantry to get Jack's food, when she noticed he was already eating.

"Wait, you fed Jack too?" Lucy asked as a smile appeared on her face.

"Yeah, he was hungry and I was waiting for the pancakes to cook anyway" he said shrugging.

"You really are perfect, aren't you?" she said as she went in for a hug.

"Nah, but I'm convinced you are" he replied looking down at her.

Lucy kissed him chastely and went to the fridge to retrieve the butter and syrup. As she was placing them on the table, Ian brought the stack of chocolate chip pancakes to the table as well. They began eating and discussing how the day would go, being that they were bound to hear questions from plenty of the cast. They agreed that if any of the cast or crew asked, they were going to be honest and tell them.

* * *

As Ian pulled into the parking lot of the studio, Lucy looked over to him and smiled a nervous smile before exiting the car. After locking the doors, Ian took Lucy's hand in his and brought it to his lips, kissing it lightly.

"Don't be nervous. These guys are like our family, Luce, they aren't going to tell the world" Ian said reassuringly.

"I know, it's just I'm nervous for their reactions...I don't know why" Lucy said as she bit on her lower lip.

"Well I will be right here by your side, nothing bad will happen. I promise."

With that Ian opened the door for Lucy and they made their way to their separate destinations.

* * *

Lucy entered the hair and makeup trailer and found Troian in the middle of getting her makeup done. Hopping into the chair next to her, Lucy tried to find the words to say since she knew Troian saw her and Ian. But before she could speak, Troian began conversation.

"Heyyyyy Goose" Troian drawled out.

"Hey Troy! How are you this morning?" Lucy asked nonchalantly.

Smiling a knowing smile Troian replied, "I'm fine, I'm sure you are better though."

Lucy blushed furiously before getting the courage to look up at her friend. When she did, Troian was staring at her smiling.

"So when did it happen?" Troian asked excitedly.

Lucy bit the inside of her cheek to try to keep from smiling and gushing. After taking a deep breath she spilled about their relationship. "Well we officially got together last weekend, but we really started considering it after his birthday party. We are trying to keep quiet about everything for now though, that's why we didn't tell anyone. Please don't be mad at me for keeping it from you."

"I'm not mad, Luce, I am ecstatic! We've only been waiting like 3 fucking years to hear this! What the hell took so long?" Troian asked laughing.

Lucy shrugged as she looked in her lap, trying not to smile. When she looked up finally, Troian barreled into her, giving her a huge hug. Both girls were giggling excitedly when Ian made his way into the trailer. When Lucy noticed him, she started to blush yet again.

"Clearly I missed something" Ian said laughing.

"Well clearly we all missed something, Mr. Harding. When were you gonna tell all of us?" Troian interrogated.

Ian put his hands up in defense, smiling. "Woah, it wasn't just me! Plus, we have our reasons for keeping it hidden!" he confessed.

"I know, I know. I just interrogated your _girlfriend_ about all of it" Troian said poking Ian lightly in the arm. "So when is the wedding?" she teased.

Ian blushed and began to laugh nervously. "Ehh we don't have plans for that just yet, but keep up the teasing and we will just elope and you will never know" he said sarcastically.

Lucy sat in the makeup chair laughing at the two of them poking fun at each other. Cindy, the makeup artist, told Ian to get into the makeup chair as Lucy got up. As he sat down, Cindy applied eye patches under his eyes. Before leaving to go to her dressing room, Lucy pulled out her phone and snapped a picture.

"Don't you dare post that!" Ian said laughing.

"Or what?" she asked playfully.

"I will make you pay...plus aren't we _trying_ to keep this a secret? You know everyone will freak out if you post it" he asked with equal playfulness.

Lucy began giggling and threw her arms around him, kissing him on the cheek before leaving the makeup trailer.

* * *

As Lucy made it to the stage she and the girls would be filming on, she noticed that word seemed to have spread about her and Ian dating. She plopped down into her chair as she waited for the girls to finish in hair and makeup. Pulling her phone out, she sent a text to Claire. Lucy broke the news to her the weekend before, and Claire was ecstatic. Suddenly Lucy's phone vibrated in her lap with another text from Claire.

"So double date this weekend? C'mon I've been waiting years for this!"

Lucy giggled to herself as she replied that she would talk to Ian about it. After sending the text Keegan and Troian walked in together laughing. When they saw Lucy they began teasing her about seeing her and Ian in the car the day before.

"Guys, I swear if you say _anything_ I will kill you!" Lucy said, blushing furiously.

"Calm down, Lucifer, nothing will leave this set. But give us a break, we've all been waiting for this and it's pretty damn funny that you outed yourselves, since you couldn't keep your hands off each other long enough to leave the parking lot" Keegan laughed.

Lucy playfully punched his arm. "You will never let us live this down will you?" she asked.

"Never."


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N: So guys, this is my longest chapter yet! I am hoping to continually make them longer! I have been having writer's block lately as I am transitioning into Lucy and Ian dating, as I have said before, so I went to the lovely Florence for help. She gave me the Marlene idea for this chapter, so if it is something you love, like I do, thank her! She is an angel! I have been lacking reviews lately which is a bit discouraging, since I use them to help guide my writing. I do want to say thank you though to those who consistently review! I love you guys! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and PLEASE if there is something you would like to see happen in later chapters, either let me know in a review or tweet it to me flawednfab1! :)**

Chapter 42

After filming for the day was over, Lucy stopped by her dressing room to change and retrieve her belongings before making her way to Ian's room. She knocked on the door softly as she opened it. Ian was just zipping up his sweatshirt when he noticed her enter the room.

"Hey beautiful" he greeted her.

"Hi. So...how bad did you get it today?" Lucy asked, smiling.

"Well, lets see, within the first 5 minutes I got it from Keegs, and then Troian in the makeup trailer, and then Ash, Shay, Julian and a few of the camera guys said something. Not quite as many as I thought would, but still plenty. How about you?" Ian answered.

"Well, Troian said she was just waiting for it to happen, but she made sure to humiliate me first. I knew I would get the 'I told you so's' but damn, I didn't think I would be so embarrassed. Keegs really didn't go easy on me. He wanted to make sure I was permanently blushing, I think" she said chuckling.

"Um you didn't hear what Keegan had to say to me" Ian replied, blushing.

"What did he say?!" Lucy asked.

"Well he wasn't surprised either, he was just surprised to see us making out in my car, I guess. But basically he said to try to keep it in my pants and not get you pregnant. I'm just so glad he didn't say that to you because I would have killed him!" he said laughing. "I'm thinking next time we either stick to one of our dressing rooms, and lock them, or we wait until we get home. Saves us the embarrassment."

"Ugh good idea. I still can't believe we got caught already! I thought we were sneakier than that!" Lucy said laughing.

"I know...and the bad thing is, we didn't even hear it from everyone yet. The teasing shall continue tomorrow" Ian said as he sat back onto the small couch in his room.

Lucy sunk down on the couch next to him bringing her lips close to his ear. "Well, we can just tease them back" she said seductively.

Ian's eyes widened and a smile grew across his face. "I like the sounds of that!"

* * *

Once Ian and Lucy arrived at her apartment, Lucy remembered that she needed to talk to Ian about a possible double date with Claire and Kurt. As Ian sat down on the couch with Jack, she went to the kitchen to find a snack. She returned carrying a jar of almond butter and banana chips.

"So are you busy this weekend?" she asked as she sat next to him.

"Well I plan on meeting my sister for lunch Saturday afternoon. You are more than welcome to come, if you'd like. But other than that, I don't have anything planned" he replied taking a handful of banana chips.

"Claire really wants to do something with us this weekend. Like a double date...would you be up for it?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah, I'd love to. I like Claire and the last I saw Kurt, he seemed like a pretty cool guy. What about Friday night?" Ian replied excitedly.

"Really? I am so glad you are up for it! I was scared you wouldn't want to! I'll talk to Claire and see if Friday works and we will plan it from there! She is going to be so excited" Lucy gushed.

* * *

The next day Lucy and Ian were due on set at noon. They both felt a wave of relief knowing that they could now totally be themselves on set since the majority of the cast knew of their relationship. As always, once they arrived Ian took Lucy's hand in his as they walked to their designated locations.

After sitting through hair and makeup Lucy waited for Ian to finish up. She sat next to the stage with Troian and Keegan until Ian finally made his appearance. He sat in the chair next to Lucy, placing a chaste kiss to her lips. Keegan and Troian continued their teasing from the day before, which made Ian want to rub it in their faces that much more. He leaned over and kissed Lucy again, this time with a bit more passion. When he noticed them watching and no longer teasing, he sat back with a satisfied grin on his face.

Seconds later Marlene King rushed in carrying a stack of papers and apologizing for running late. While they were waiting for her to get organized, Ian held Lucy's hand as they talked quietly. He leaned over and kissed her shoulder when he noticed Marlene was gawking at them. He straightened up and felt the flush of his cheeks. She did not look pleased.

As they were filming, Lucy and Ian snuck in a few kisses while they could. Being together on set and filming rehearsed kisses were not nearly as fun as kissing each other genuinely. After 8 long hours, they were finally released.

Ian pulled his sweatshirt over his head then took Lucy's hand in his as they started to walk towards their dressing rooms. Before they made it away from the stage, Marlene called to them.

"Ian, Lucy, could I talk to you two for a minute?" she asked.

Looking at each other and then to Marlene, confused, they nodded and followed her to her office. After Marlene unlocked the door, she held it open and allowed Ian and Lucy inside before shutting it behind her. She rounded her desk and sat down in the rolling chair behind it. Lucy and Ian sat across from her nervously. Marlene sighed before speaking.

"So I take it you two are seeing each other?" she asked sternly.

Lucy looked to Ian, obvious fear in her eyes. After looking away from Lucy, Ian turned to Marlene.

"We are" he stated simply.

"Look, I understand that you would begin to have feelings towards each other with the types of scenes you film, but you need to learn to keep those feelings in check. I don't mean to hurt your guys' feelings but you are taking a huge risk by doing this. What happens if you happen to break up? Aria and Ezra are the core couple of the show, you know that, and a messy breakup would destroy any chemistry between the two of you. I can't let that happen. Your relationship on the show brings in a good portion of the viewers. I hate to dictate your personal lives, but I can't allow this relationship to continue further. I hope you understand."

Ian and Lucy stared at Marlene, shock obvious on both of their faces. Lucy looked to her lap as she started to tear up. Ian noticed and decided to speak up.

"Marlene, with all due respect, there was nothing in the contract saying we couldn't date costars. This was no sudden thing, Lucy and I have been contemplating this for quite some time. There is no way of knowing that we will breakup, I have no intentions to, nor does Lucy. If you could just hear us out-"

"Ian, I meant what I said. I'm sorry I can't allow this. I understand that you have feelings for each other, but you have to realize what a risk it _could_ be. Don't counter me on this, I'm not budging. I think the hiatus will be beneficial for the two of you. I need you to control the feelings. End of discussion" Marlene interrupted.

Ian ran his hands through his hair and finally nodded in defeat. Seconds later Marlene stood up and opened the door to let them know that she was done discussing the topic. Ian and Lucy walked out of Marlene's office silently until they made it to their respective dressing rooms. As Lucy was changing out of her Aria attire, Ian knocked on the door softly. As she turned around, Ian was closing the door behind him.

"So what the hell was all that about?" he asked still confused.

Lucy shrugged sadly as she buttoned up her shirt. She continued to look down, even after all the buttons were done. She began picking at her nail polish, as she tried not to cry.

"Come here, Luce" Ian said soothingly as he pulled her into a tight embrace. As soon as his arms were around her, she began to sob into his chest.

"I don't get it..." Lucy said between sobs. "Why does she have such a problem with it? We haven't done anything to make it a problem. I just don't understand!"

"Hey..." Ian said and he coaxed her to the couch, "it'll be okay. I promise. I will make sure of it. Don't cry, Luce, I hate seeing you cry."

Lucy wiped at the tears streaming down her face. "I can't even explain the way I am feeling right now. I am pissed, _so_ pissed. But I also feel betrayed. She has never had a problem with Keegan and Shay flirting, but why us? It just seems like nobody wants to see us happy! Someone always has a problem with us..." she said trying to control her crying.

"Lucy, babe, calm down. I promise, we will figure something out. I'm not about to just break up with you because Marlene said to, okay? I love you and for the first time in my whole life I am truly happy. I'm not going to let you go that easily" Ian said pulling her close again. He kissed her tenderly on the temple and pushed her hair off of her damp face. "I love you" he whispered in her ear.

Lucy felt a trace of a smile after hearing those words. She looked at Ian through tear blurred eyes and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I love you too, and I am _never_ letting go."

* * *

The next morning Lucy got up early, after spending the whole night tossing and turning. She took a quick shower and went to the kitchen to brew coffee. As she was waiting for the coffee to finish brewing, she saw her bedroom door open slowly, and a shirtless Ian walk out. He rubbed his eyes and focused them on Lucy.

"Hey, what are you doing up so early? You don't even have to be on set until late today" he said sleepily.

"I couldn't sleep" Lucy said sighing as she took a sip of her hot coffee.

Ian walked over to Lucy and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead. "Babe, come to bed. It is 6:30 am. I'll just talk to you until you fall back to sleep" he said as convincingly as possible.

Lucy smiled up at him and kissed him sweetly on the lips. "Fine, but you may be talking for a while."

Ian took Lucy's hand and walked her to the bedroom, pulling the bedcovers back for her to get in. She slipped between the sheets and Ian took the spot next to her, covering them both before wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close.

As they were spooning, Ian left feather light kisses behind Lucy's ears, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin.

"So why couldn't you sleep?" he asked her softly.

Lucy turned to her back so she could look at Ian. "I don't know, I guess this whole thing with Marlene just threw me for a loop. I just can't move past it."

"Hey," Ian said pulling Lucy's face towards his, "it'll work out. For now we may have to go back to pretending we're not together, but that is normal for us. Let's just go back to that. We can still be together, but we just need to keep quiet about it."

"But that's the thing! I don't _want_ to pretend I'm not with you. We finally told our friends the truth and now we have to tell them we're not together? It's bullshit! She has absolutely no right to dictate who we date. It was not in the contract" Lucy said angrily.

Ian held Lucy tightly and kissed her hair, trying to calm her down. "Look, we can talk to the cast, fill them in. I think they will understand. We really only have to convince Marlene that we're not together. Plus we aren't outing ourselves to the public yet, so it shouldn't be too hard, not to mention that we only have one more week until the hiatus. I just hate to see you so worked up about this."

Lucy pulled away from Ian a bit, wiping the stray tears from her face. Ian wiped his thumbs across her cheeks to dry what she missed. He kissed her nose then pulled her in again. Within a few minutes he could feel her relax in his arms, signaling that she had fallen asleep.

* * *

That afternoon, Lucy left for set, leaving Ian in her apartment alone with Jack. Annie was at work and would be home later than Lucy, which came as a relief to Ian. He was never fond of Annie, but tolerated her because of her friendship with Lucy.

It was only a little after two and Lucy was due to be home around 8 or 9 pm. Ian wanted to do something for her before she arrived home, to help relieve some of the stress she was feeling. Since it was still early, Ian called up Julian to get some lunch. He said goodbye to Jack and left for the small pub around the corner.

Once Ian arrived at the pub, he found Julian sitting at a high top table near the bar. He greeted Julian and sat down, ordering a beer and the hummus platter. After the waitress walked away Julian asked what was on his mind.

"Dude, I don't know what to do. You know Luce and I are officially dating now, just trying to keep it under the radar...well Marlene happened to see us yesterday and called us into her office. Apparently she doesn't want us dating. She basically told us we needed to break it off for the show. I tried to talk to her about it but she wouldn't budge" Ian started.

"What? You've got to be kidding me! Why is she being so uptight?" Julian asked as he took a swig of his beer.

"I don't know, man. She said that an ugly breakup could ruin our chemistry and then we would lose viewers. I get what she is saying, but she acts like we're destined to breakup, and frankly it pisses me off" Ian said with an angry undertone.

"So what are you gonna do?" Julian asked.

"We're going to have to sneak around some more, I guess. Lucy is taking it hard though. She was just getting used the the idea of us being open about our relationship with our close friends and now we have to hide again. It fucking sucks."

The waitress made her way around with the guys' food and left as quickly as she came.

"I'm sorry, man. That does suck. The hiatus is in a week though, and you can be yourselves around us when Marlene isn't around! We won't say anything" Julian said in support to his friend.

"Thanks. We have to be careful though because I don't really know who is on what side. I hate having to sneak around. I just want to see Luce happy" Ian said pain evident on his face.

"You really love her don't you?" Julian asked.

"Yeah, man. I really do. Nobody has ever made me feel the way she makes me feel. I feel like I care more about her well being than my own, which is new to me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved Sophia, but I wouldn't feel the emotions she felt like I do with Lucy" Ian said honestly.

"Well tell the cast what the deal is and we will just pretend as if you broke up. What Marlene doesn't know, won't hurt her."

* * *

After getting lunch with Julian, Ian filled Keegan and Tyler in on what was going on between he and Lucy. It was nearing 5 o'clock and he wanted to have dinner made for her before she arrived home. He went to the fridge to find that it was almost bare. The past few nights, they had either eaten out or they were at his place for dinner. He didn't realize that she needed groceries so badly. Rounding up his phone and keys, Ian took off to Ralph's to buy some groceries.

* * *

Once Ian returned to Lucy's apartment he put away the groceries. As he was deciding what to cook for dinner he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out, he looked at the screen and found that Lucy texted him to tell him she would be home in about 20 minutes.

Quickly, Ian pulled out ingredients for a salad. It was the quickest thing he could think to make. As he was chopping the vegetables, he seasoned a chicken breast and put it on the grill top for Lucy. He was trying hard to eat vegetarian, but he knew that Lucy loved meat. Just as he was setting the table, Lucy walked through the door.

Ian heard her drop her purse on the small table by the door and the clicking of her heels making their way into the kitchen. When she found Ian plating the salads with a dish towel thrown over his shoulder, a wide smiled graced her face.

"Welcome home, baby" he said matching her grin.

Lucy walked to Ian giving him a chaste kiss on the lips. "You didn't have to make dinner! I swear, you are spoiling me" she said, the smile still plastered to her face.

Ian pulled her chair out and took her jacket before pouring her a large glass of wine. He sat opposite of her and sipped on his own glass.

"So how was work today?" he asked curiously.

"It went alright. I talked to the girls about everything. They think it is bullshit as much as we do. They said they would keep our secret and help us sneak around, which I am so thankful for. I am still seething over the fact that Marlene is getting into our personal lives" Lucy said as she took a bite of the salad in front of her.

"I talked to the guys as well. Although we don't have everyone's support, we have the ones that count."

"I know. It is going to be so hard to not kiss you whenever I want to though. I don't know how I am going to control it, since I was just getting used to the fact that I could" Lucy said sadly.

"Well, we will just have to be extra sneaky" Ian said winking.

Lucy began to laugh, and shook her head, admiring his cuteness. As they finished their salads, Lucy tried to clear the table, but Ian took the dishes from her hands.

"Sit. I've got this. Just go relax" he said shooing her from the kitchen.

Ignoring his request, Lucy took the dressings to the fridge. She found a jar of cookie butter, sitting right it front of her face.

"You got groceries too? And you got me cookie butter?! Ian Michael Harding! You need to stop being so damn sweet!" she said grinning from ear to ear. She pulled the jar of cookie butter from the fridge and opened it, dipping her finger in the jar. She licked her finger clean as Ian stared at her, laughing.

"What?" she asked. "It's dessert."

She hopped onto the counter and put more of the cookie butter on her finger. As she began licking it off of her finger Ian walked over to her and stuck her finger in his mouth, cleaning all the cookie butter off of it.

"Hey!" she said laughing. She dipped her finger into the jar again and smeared the butter onto Ian's nose. "How's that for dessert?" she asked sarcastically.

Ian smirked at Lucy before dipping his own finger into the sticky butter. He wiped his finger down Lucy's nose and across her cheeks before licking his finger clean. "I don't know, you tell me" he said, humor in his voice.

Lucy shook her head at Ian as she took the jar and this time getting the cookie butter on three fingers and smearing it down Ian's face and neck. As she went to get another handful, Ian took the jar and tried to get some on his hands before Lucy reached for the jar.

"Don't you dare, Ian! You will clean it up if you make this kitchen a mess!" she playfully threatened.

"Oh will I?" he asked seductively as he smeared the butter across Lucy's neck and chest.

Surprised, Lucy stared at him with her mouth open. Suddenly, a smirk crossed her face as she lifted her shirt above her head, leaving her in a lacy light pink bra.

This time Ian was surprised as he watched his girlfriend's gorgeous figure. She snuck her hand into the jar and smeared it down Ian's face, all the way down to his chest. She licked the remaining cookie butter from her fingers seductively, until Ian grabbed her by the waist and threw her over his shoulder.

"Ian! Put me down!" Lucy screamed as she beat her hands against his back.

Ian sat Lucy back down on the counter once again. Since he had cooke butter all over his face he pulled Lucy's close to his and rubbed the butter all along her face. Once he was done, Lucy looked to him and raised her eyebrows.

Within seconds, Ian's lips were pressed firmly to hers. Lucy's tongue entered Ian's mouth and they began kissing passionately. Lucy pulled Ian's shirt off before wrapping her legs around his waist. Ian's lips moved from Lucy's lips down her neck. Suddenly he looked up and licked his lips.

"You know, I love kissing on your neck any day, but it is even better when it is covered in cookie butter" he said chuckling.

Lucy smirked at him as she kissed him on the lips once more. "I would love to take this to the bedroom, but I think we should probably clean off first" she said laughing.

"Yeah, good idea" Ian said. "I think I will run a bath for you."

As Ian started the hot water in the bathtub, he opened the linen closet to find some bubble bath. After rummaging through many different bottles, he found a green tea scented bubble bath and poured it into the running water.

Lucy walked into the bathroom and stripped down to only her bra and underwear. She reached into the shower and started the stream of water, waiting for it to warm up. She rid herself of her undergarments and stepped into the shower for a few seconds to rinse off her face, neck and chest. As she stepped out she gave Ian a curious look.

"Are you going to get into the tub covered in cookie butter?" she asked laughing.

"I didn't know you wanted me to get in with you. I was going to give you a neck and shoulder massage..." he trailed off.

"But you can do that from inside the tub, you know" she said seductively.

Ian stripped quickly and also rinsed the cookie butter from his upper body. After he turned off the shower he pulled two fluffy towels from the closet and left them on the sink for he and Lucy for when they were done with their bath.

Ian stepped in first, spreading his legs to the sides of the tub, leaving room for Lucy between them. She stepped in seconds later and sat down, leaning her back against his chest. As she settled in she sighed loudly.

"Thank you so much for this, Ian. You don't know how badly I needed this."

"I knew you were stressed. I just wanted to make you feel better" he said matter-of-factly.

"Well you definitely know how to make me feel better" Lucy replied.

Ian began rubbing Lucy's neck and worked his way down her shoulders. Before long she was not only extremely relaxed, but also extremely turned on. While Ian was massaging her neck again, Lucy slowly turned around and pressed her lips to his. One kiss led to another, and soon they were kissing with intense passion.

After several minutes, Lucy broke the kiss to catch her breath. "Should we move this to the bedroom?" she panted.

Nodding, Ian lifted her tiny naked frame from the tub and carried her to the bed. They were both soaked, but neither seemed to care. Lucy pulled Ian as close as possible and wrapped her legs around his waist as she waited for him to enter her. Suddenly Ian lifted himself off of her in search for a condom.

"Check in my nightstand, I think I have a box in there" Lucy said impatiently.

Ian reached into the drawer and found one lone condom. He ripped the packet open as quickly as possible as Lucy took it from his hands and rolled it onto him. As he entered her, they looked into each others eyes, relishing in the moment.

"There is no way in hell that I will ever leave her," Ian thought. "If pretending that we're not together was going to be like this, it might not be so bad."


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N: Hey everyone! I am SO sorry that it took so long to get this chapter up! In my defense, I have had family here for the past week and a half and they aren't due to leave until Jan 7. This probably means that chapter 44 will also be slow to be updated. I will update as soon as I can though! I have some big ideas coming for this story! Because of this, there is going to be a small time jump after this chapter! Hope you all enjoy, and thank you for being patient! Love you all!**

Chapter 43

The rest of the week went by slowly for Lucy and Ian. The tension was thick on set with Marlene around. Pretending not to be together proved to be extremely difficult, especially after being official for almost a month. They would have been content with just holding hands, or any type of contact for that matter, but were unable to.

As the last scene was being filmed of the girls, Ian waited in his dressing room patiently for Lucy. It was just after 9 pm and they had plans to do dinner at Ian's house with Claire and Kurt as soon as she was done.

After waiting for almost a half an hour, Lucy rushed through the door of Ian's dressing room.

"Sorry it took so long! I tried to get out of there as fast as I could. Are you ready to go?" she asked Ian hurriedly.

Looking at Lucy from the couch, Ian nodded and smiled. He picked up his keys and phone and the two of them left for the car.

As soon as the car doors clicked shut, Ian's lips met Lucy's in a heated kiss. The sexual tension that was created during the week of filming was almost unbearable. As Ian pulled away slowly to catch his breath he stared lovingly into Lucy's eyes, cradling her face in his hands.

"So what do you say? Should we get out of here and call up Claire and Kurt?" Ian asked with a huge grin.

Laughing, Lucy nodded and sat back into her seat, fastening her seatbelt.

* * *

As they entered Ian's house, Lucy kicked her boots off at the door as she finished up her conversation with Claire on the phone. When she hung up, Ian turned to her and pulled her closer.

"So? Are we still on for tonight?" he asked smiling.

"Yeah, they are as excited as we are!" Lucy said as she ruffled his hair. "We decided we would just do takeout and drinks here, if that is alright with you."

"Of course! Should you call Claire back and give her our orders and see if they will pick them up?" Ian asked.

"Already ahead of you" she said smiling flirtatiously.

"Great minds think alike" he said pressing his forehead to hers.

Lucy leaned in and kissed Ian chastely on the lips before skipping off to the kitchen. She pulled a bottle of wine from the wine rack and popped the cork, and filled two glasses full of the liquid. Taking the glasses into both of her small hands, she walked slowly back to the living room.

Reaching the living room, Lucy joined Ian on the couch. She passed him one of the glasses of wine as she sipped on her own. After taking a drink, she settled her glass onto the coffee table. She turned to Ian, and with a seductive grin, carefully took the wine glass from his hand and settled it on the table next to hers.

Lucy noticed the look of amusement in Ian's eyes as she returned to her spot on the couch. She could tell that he was anticipating her next move. In one swift movement she swung her leg over his lap so that she was straddling him. She wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him passionately. He returned the kiss with just as much force, slipping his tongue into her mouth. As the kisses became more heated, Lucy began grinding her body down on his hips, causing him to moan. Just as Ian began to work on the buttons on Lucy's shirt a loud knock came from the front door.

Startled from the sound, Lucy jumped off of Ian's lap and quickly buttoned her shirt back up. She ran a hand through her hair and walked the length from the couch to the door. Taking a swift glance towards the couch, Lucy noticed Ian staring at her, biting his lip, which caused a tightening in her stomach. She took a deep breath to regain her composure and opened the door.

"Boots! I've missed you so damn much!" Claire exclaimed, launching herself into Lucy's arms.

"I've missed you too, Claire Bear!" Lucy said giggling. She allowed Claire through the door and greeted Kurt with a hug. She took the takeout bags from him and brought them to the kitchen.

As the others followed Lucy to the kitchen, they all began to make small talk. Ian got out plates and silverware as Lucy opened the takeout containers. Once they all had their food and wine, they retreated to the living room and sat around the coffee table.

"So, how does it feel to _finally_ be official?" Claire asked Lucy and Ian.

Lucy looked to Ian and blushed slightly. "It feels great. Marlene wasn't very happy when she found out, so this past week kind of sucked because we had to pretend we weren't together. And can I just say that that is probably the hardest thing to do!" she began giggling as her cheeks flushed red. "Seriously though, it was so tempting to just go to a different part of set and do it right then and there!"

The other 3 began chuckling at Lucy's remark as she giggled in embarrassment. Ian wrapped his arm around her waist and leaned in to kiss her temple.

"Oh my God! Seriously, you two are so fucking cute! I can't take it!" Claire exclaimed. "I am so glad you finally decided to get together. I have been rooting for you guys since I met Ian."

Lucy smiled genuinely as she looked to Ian and then Claire. "I know, I know. It took me so long to admit that I was into him, but good things come to those who wait, right?"

"Ha! Or how about good things come to those who work their asses off, like poor Ian had to do to get you to admit to wanting him!" Kurt blurted out, teasing Lucy.

Ian and Claire burst out laughing at Kurt's remark. Ian gave Kurt a high five before going back to the kitchen to retrieve another bottle of wine. At the same time, Kurt excused himself to the bathroom, leaving Claire and Lucy in the room alone.

"So? How has it been?!" Claire asked wiggling her eyebrows at Lucy.

"Claire Bear, I literally cannot put into words how perfect he is for me. I'll admit it, you were right. We belong together. I have never been so happy in my life" Lucy said confidently.

"I'm so happy for you, Boots! Have you guys decided what you will do over the hiatus, then? You are moving back home for some time, is he coming with you?" Claire asked curiously.

Lucy suddenly had a look of fear in her eyes. "I, uh, I'm not sure. We haven't really talked about it yet..." she said uncomfortably.

"Hey," Claire said sliding over to wrap an arm around Lucy comfortingly, "I didn't mean to upset you, babe. I'm sure whatever you do, Ian will be right there with you. He is head over heels for you! Don't worry about it."

Lucy gave a slight smile to her friend as she leaned in for a hug. As they came out of the hug, Ian returned with a second bottle of wine, filling each of the glasses.

"So, what'd I miss?" he asked, smiling.

"Oh, you know, girl stuff" Claire said as she took a sip of her wine.

Ian looked to Lucy curiously. She giggled slightly and took a large gulp from her glass. "Hey, we should play a game!" Lucy said suddenly, trying to change the subject. She stood up from her spot and went to the drawer under the TV stand.

Claire joined Lucy as the two of them went through the few games Ian owned. As they shuffled through them, Claire's eye caught the game Twister.

"Oh my God! We _have_ to play Twister! Seriously, I haven't played this game in forever!" Claire said excitedly as she took the box from the drawer.

The guys groaned, not wanting to do anything but drink. Lucy stood up with her hands on her hips and pouted.

"Please? For us? You can still drink, it'll be fun! One game is all!" she pleaded.

Ian sighed and pulled Lucy into his lap. "Okay, one game. But only because you are so damn adorable" he said smiling.

"Dude, you are whipped already!" Kurt teased.

"Not going to lie, I am. But seriously, look at her!" Ian said as he directed his attention to Lucy.

Shaking her head and giggling, Lucy stood up and pulled Ian from his spot on the couch. She and Claire took off into the kitchen toting the game with them. Ian and Kurt followed their girlfriends and found them smoothing the mat down on the kitchen floor.

Standing up from her squatting position, Claire tossed the spinner to Kurt. "Here, since you don't want to play, you can spin for us. You'll change your mind though after this round!"

"Good. I'm not drunk enough for this yet" Kurt said as he lifted himself to the counter. "Are you guys ready?"

"Let's do this" Ian said gulping down the last of his wine.

"Okay" Kurt said as he spun the spinner. "Right leg blue."

Lucy, Ian, and Claire all set their right feet onto a blue dot. Kurt called the next direction which was left hand green. The three all put their left hands on a green circle. When Kurt called right hand red next, Ian played the move easily, while Claire and Lucy struggled.

Once Lucy stretched across the mat to the red dots, Kurt called left leg red. Ian moved his leg quickly to the red dot that Lucy was moving to.

"Ian!" Lucy pouted. "How the hell am I supposed to stretch that far?"

"Hmm...looks like you will have to try to get the the spot behind me. Or you can just fall and quit this round" he said playfully.

"I am not going to quit" she said, determined. She maneuvered around Ian and Claire's body until she was twisted up, but still off the floor.

Kurt began chuckling at the mess of bodies on the floor in front of him. "Left hand yellow."

As Claire tried to maneuver around Ian's body she fell on her elbow. "Shit. Ian, you are taking up this whole damn mat!" she said playfully pushing him before lifting herself from the mat.

"Looks like it's the lovebirds left" Kurt said. "Right leg green."

"Shit" Lucy said as she tried to stretch to a green dot. Unable to move to the dot she wanted to she decided she would twist herself completely overtop of Ian. She was now straddling him.

"Whoa, Luce. Save it for later!" Claire said in mock disgust.

"Just doing what I have to to win!" Lucy giggled back. She looked down at Ian who now had a lustful look in his eyes. Her tactics were working.

The next move was right hand green. Lucy easily bent over and placed her hand on the green dot in front of her. Ian tried to reach the green dot closest to him, but having Lucy's cleavage inches from his face finally caused him to fall.

Lucy stood up and started cheering when she realized she won. "You wanted to play dirty, well two can play that game" she smirked at Ian.

Ian raised his eyebrows and began chuckling. "Okay, taking your dot was one thing, but you had your boobs in my face. _That_ is truly playing dirty!"

"A girl's gotta do, what a girl's gotta do" Claire chimed in.

"Hey there, Leahy, watch yourself" Ian said playfully.

"I take it your ego hurts too much to play another round?" Claire bantered back.

"I think so. I say we do something else. Are you guys up for a movie or something?" he asked.

"Only if said movie is 'Magic Mike'" Claire giggled.

"Dude, 'The Campaign' is out now I think" Kurt interrupted.

"'The Campaign' I can do, 'Magic Mike' no fucking way" Ian said chuckling. "Is that okay with everyone? I'll run down to the Redbox and get it if it is."

Lucy and Claire nodded and took off into the living room with their wine in hand.

"I'll go with you, man" Kurt said, following Ian out the door.

* * *

As Lucy and Claire curled up on the couch they began their typical girl talk.

"I am going to miss you so damn much, Luce. Are you sure you have to go back to Tennessee? I don't think I can handle being away from you that long!" Claire pouted.

"I know. I will be back in December for a bit though. It'll fly by" Lucy responded as she squeezed her best friend's hand.

"What day do you leave?" Claire asked.

"I leave next Friday. I have to go to New York and then I will go to Tennessee for a week and then back to LA. It is going to be so busy but I miss my family so much" she said honestly.

"I know. I'm happy you get to see your momma again. But you have to promise me that you will be back in time for the annual Leahy Christmas party!"

"No worries, Claire Bear. I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Lucy promised. She leaned in to hug her best friend and the guys returned with the movie.

"So how was it without us?" Kurt asked as he plopped down next to Claire.

"Oh you know, we snuck in our drugs while you were gone" she joked.

"Can't leave them alone, Ian. They're trouble" Kurt joked back.

Ian chuckled as he put the DVD into the DVD player and lowered the lights. He sat down next to Lucy and she instinctively curled into his side.

As the movie played, the guys laughed uncontrollably at the slap stick humor. Halfway through, both of the girls had fallen asleep.

Once the movie was over, it was nearing 2 am. Kurt lightly shook Claire to wake her. Ian said goodbye to their friends and gently lifted Lucy and brought her to the bedroom. He laid her on the bed and carefully pulled her jeans from her legs and tucked her in. He removed his own jeans and shirt and slid into bed next to his sleeping girlfriend.

Turning off the bedside lamp, Ian settled into bed. He wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and rested his chin in the crook of her neck. Before long he was asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Lucy woke up and rolled over kissing Ian lightly on the lips.

"Good morning, handsome" she whispered.

Ian stirred and focused his eyes into Lucy's hazel ones. "Good morning, gorgeous. How did you sleep?" he asked.

"I slept alright. How about you?" she asked.

"I slept well, I'm still tired though. Let's go back to sleep" he said tugging her down and closing his eyes.

"I wanted to talk to you about something, actually" she said, chewing on her lip.

Ian sat up slightly and smoothed Lucy's hair away from her face. "Is everything alright, babe?"

"Yeah, I mean I think so. Claire just asked me yesterday what we're planning on doing during the hiatus. I know you are going to be doing that movie with Jordan, but..." Lucy trailed off.

"But what, Luce?"

"But what about us? I have to go to New York and Tennessee until December and then I will come back here for a week and then back to Tennessee. I'm not asking you to follow me, but what are we going to do?" she asked, teary-eyed.

Ian cupped Lucy's face in his hands. "Luce, don't cry. Look, we may have to do a long distance thing for about a month since we have so many different things going on, but I promise you we will make it all work. I love you and I want to be with you. Forever. You know that."

"I know, I know. I just...I'm scared I guess. I don't want to lose you and it is going to be the hardest month of my life. I don't want to spend the holidays without you" Lucy said sadly.

"Babe, hey" Ian said pulling Lucy into a tight embrace. "We will find a way to be together. You will not lose me, I promise you that. It'll be a tough couple of weeks, but we went how long without actually dating? I think we can do it. Actually, I _know_ we can. This movie is only shooting for 2 weeks max, and then I will be free as far as I know. I will come with you to Tennessee if I have to. We can stay at my house here in LA when we are here. Let's just spend this last week together with no worries."

"Okay. I love you" Lucy said finally. She was going to try to not worry about anything but spending ever second with the love of her life.


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N: Hi guys! I am SO sorry for such a delay on the update. I have had family here and then started school and have been working overtime at work! I know it is a big excuse, but it makes for very little writing time. I promise I will start to update more frequently again, but it might not be quite as fast as before. **

**This chapter is fluffy yet kind of sad. It isn't my favorite, but things are about to get good! After this chapter there will be a little bit of a time jump by a few weeks. I will try to get it up by the weekend! Hope you guys like this chapter.**

**P.S. Thank you all so much who have reviewed and tweeted the love for this story. I cannot express the gratitude I have for you guys.**

Chapter 44

The next week flew by for Lucy. She and Ian spent every second they could together while they had the chance. It was already Monday afternoon, and she was due to leave for New York the next evening.

Ian was at her apartment helping her pack the last of her things. She was in her bedroom packing up her closet, while Ian was in the kitchen putting all her dishes in boxes. She pulled her phone from her pocket and found that it was already quarter after 4.

Standing up, she adjusted her top and walked into the kitchen to join her boyfriend. As she entered, she found him with his back to her stacking plates into a large box. She tiptoed across the floor until she was directly behind him and placed her hands over his eyes.

"Guess who?" she chimed.

"Hmm...it could be anyone, but I am going to guess it is my beautiful girlfriend" he said placing his hands over hers.

"Hmm...you may be right" she said teasingly. In a matter of seconds Lucy twirled around Ian and was now standing in front of him. She kissed him lightly, laughing as their lips touched.

Ian placed his hands around her waist and lifted her so she was now sitting on the counter in front of him. He pecked her on the nose and then placed his forehead to hers.

"I'm really going to miss this" Lucy said softly.

"What?" Ian asked confused.

"This. You know, like being able to just have you here anytime I want. It makes me sick to my stomach thinking that I will be away from you for so long. This is the stuff I will miss the most...just getting to kiss you whenever I want to, and to touch you when I want" she said as she slid her hand under the collar of his shirt, rubbing his neck lightly.

"Aw Luce, I will miss it too, but I promise it will fly by. You will be in New York and I will be working on this movie and then it's Thanksgiving. You will be home for a few days after that and then it is only a few more weeks away and you will be back for good!" he said soothingly. He kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger.

"I know...I just _hate _knowing I won't get to spend the holidays with you. That is going to be hard, on top of not having you next to me every night" Lucy stated. She took a shaky breath before starting again. "Jack is a great cuddler but he isn't you. What am I going to do when I have a shitty day?" she said, a small amount of panic evident in her voice.

"Hey," Ian said placing his hands on either side of her face, "I promise you that I will be there in any way I can. We can Skype or face-time anytime you'd like. I know that it's not the same as having me physically there, but you will be there with your family and they will be so excited to have you home."

Lucy stared at the ceiling trying to blink away the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes. "You're right. I love you. Thank you for being here for me...and for helping me pack this mess" she said laughing slightly.

"Of course" Ian said kissing her softly on the forehead. He pulled her off of the counter and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Let's finish packing up your bedroom and then we can do whatever you feel like" he said smiling.

Lucy nodded and reluctantly followed Ian into her bedroom. She sighed when she entered, seeing the stacks of boxes cluttering her floor.

"So what do you have left to pack?" Ian asked, scratching his head.

"I have to pack my closet and my bathroom and then I think that is everything" Lucy said running a hand through her hair.

"Okay, well let's pack it up and then we will be done. It won't take long" Ian replied.

The two of them started in Lucy's closet. She pulled her clothes from the shelves and the hangers and gave them to Ian who folded them and placed them into boxes. Within 40 minutes the closet was now empty.

Lucy walked out of her closet and found Ian taping up the last box and adding it to the ever growing pile of boxes. She realized that there was a dress lying on her bed and a pair of heels on the floor. Confused, she picked the dress up and began to fold it to add to one of the boxes when Ian stopped her.

"I left that out for a reason" Ian said laughing.

"What for?" Lucy asked, obviously puzzled.

"Well, since this is our last night together for over a month, I though we could celebrate by going out" he said nervously.

"Wait, so you mean you want to actually go out...like in _public?_" Lucy asked, a grin forming on her face.

"Yeah. I mean I totally get it if you don't want to, but I thought what better time? You are leaving tomorrow and it's not like there is anything to eat here..." Ian said running a hand through his curls.

Lucy walked the few steps to Ian and wrapped her arms around his neck, placing a firm kiss to his lips. "I love you, you know that right? I can't believe you are willing to go public so early!" she said squealing excitedly.

"I know. It's just...I don't know. You make me want to, I guess" Ian said smiling.

Lucy looked down at the ground as her face turned a dark shade of pink. He never ceased to amaze her and his compliments always gave her butterflies.

Ian laughed quietly and pulled Lucy into his chest. "I love you, but I made reservations for 6:30 so we should probably get ready" he whispered into her hair.

Lucy nodded before kissing Ian chastely on the lips. She skipped happily to the bathroom to take a shower while Ian went to the living room to watch TV.

* * *

An hour had passed and Lucy still hadn't come out from her room. Ian decided that while he was waiting, he should start getting himself around for dinner. After turning off the TV, he pulled a pair of dark washed jeans and a charcoal grey button down shirt from his bag. He pulled the jeans over his hips and buttoned them, then threw his t-shirt to the ground. As he was shrugging his dress shirt on, Lucy's bedroom door opened. Looking up from getting dressed, Ian saw the most breathtaking girl standing in front of him.

"Hey. So what do you think?" Lucy said twirling around, donning a form fitting black mini dress.

"God, Luce. You are amazing. I can't get over how beautiful you are" Ian said still trying to comprehend the figure in front of him. "Seriously, you are perfect."

Lucy smiled shyly and walked closer to her boyfriend. She began buttoning the buttons on his shirt. Once she finished the last one, she looked up at him and smiled. Ian gazed back into Lucy's eyes, his breath becoming shallow.

"Maybe we should go before we don't want to leave" Lucy said quietly.

Ian cleared his throat and kissed Lucy on the forehead. "Yeah, you're probably right. I don't really want to leave now though, to be honest" he said with a chuckle.

Lucy stood on her tiptoes and brought her lips to Ian's ear. "Well, if you can make it through dinner, we can celebrate one last time in my apartment."

Ian smiled a goofy boyish grin and took Lucy's hand in his. "Alright, let's go get some dinner."

* * *

The car ride seemed surprisingly short to the restaurant. When they arrived a puzzled look came across Lucy's face.

"Where are we?" she asked, confused.

"Well, I thought we could go out but still have some privacy. My sister recommended it and I couldn't think of anyone better to take with me" Ian said smiling.

Lucy leaned over the center console and kissed him on the lips. "Thank you, I love you. This means so much to me, I don't even have the words to explain it."

"I love you too. Shall we go in?"

Lucy nodded as Ian quickly got out of the car and made it to her side. After opening the door, he took her hand and helped her out of the car and they made their way inside.

As they entered the restaurant, Lucy was overtaken by the smell of delicious Italian food. They were greeted immediately by a young man dressed in a tie and were escorted to a small corner booth.

Lucy slid in first, pulled her short black dress down and crossing her legs. Ian slid in next to her and instinctively placed his hand on her knee. The waiter came by a few minutes later and took their orders and delivered a bottle of wine. Once he left Lucy turned to look at Ian.

"I already love this place, and we haven't even gotten our food yet! It is just so cozy and intimate! How did Sarah even find this place?" she asked as she tangled her fingers with his.

Ian shrugged and grinned proudly. "I'm not sure, probably one of her friends, but I'm glad you are impressed. I was a little nervous you would be upset we weren't going somewhere a little more...public" he said struggling to find the right words.

"Of course not. This is our first 'real' date, I don't want the paparazzi interrupting such a special moment. I don't think anything could make this more perfect" she said. She leaned in and kissed his cheek.

Seconds later, their waiter arrived with their meals. After placing the hot dishes in front of them, he left immediately, giving them their privacy.

Before digging into the food, Ian lifted his glass of wine for a toast. "So I say we toast to our first real date. Our first real, _perfect _date, with the most perfect girl in the world."

Lucy lifted her glass and looked to Ian with tear-brimmed eyes, and clinked her glass to his. They each took a sip of their wine and began eating. They made small talk as they ate, until Ian brought up a much more emotional topic.

"So...um, what time do you need to be at the airport tomorrow?" he said as he took a bite of his vegetable lasagna.

Lucy's smile faded quickly as she remembered that she would be leaving the next evening. "Uh, I have to be there by 4:30" she said, her voice shaky.

"Hey," Ian said grabbing Lucy's hand, "I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted to figure out how much time we have together tomorrow. Let's forget about it and just enjoy tonight" he said nervously.

"Sorry, I just forgot about all of it until now," she said leaning into his side. "I didn't mean to ruin the mood of the night" she said looking up at him.

"No, I did it. I'm sorry" Ian added quickly. His eyes shifted from Lucy's and found three pairs of eyes gawking at them. He didn't know who the girls were, but they were beginning to make him feel uncomfortable.

As the girls starting whispering and pointing, Ian leaned in to whisper into Lucy's ear. "How about we get out of here since we probably won't have much privacy after this" he said directing his attention to the gawking fans.

A mischievous smile graced Lucy's face. "Hmm, I wonder why you're so excited to go home?"

Ian mirrored Lucy's face and then feigned hurt. "Is it so bad that I want a little bit of alone time with my beautiful girlfriend?" he asked sarcastically.

"Not at all. Let's go" she said after pecking him on the lips.

* * *

As they were leaving their booth, Lucy excused herself to the restroom. Ian stood outside the door for a couple of minutes when he got an idea. He gently pushed the door open and looked inside to find that the tiny bathroom was empty except for Lucy.

The bathroom was smaller than Ian expected and he was extremely grateful. As he entered, he found Lucy standing in front of the large mirror fixing her hair. He shut and locked the door quietly and then snuck up behind Lucy, wrapping his arms around her and leaving butterfly kisses along her neck and shoulder.

Lucy gasped at the intimate contact. "Ian Michael Harding! What the hell are you doing in here?" she cried.

"Well, when I was standing outside the door I thought about it and remembered that we have made out in a bathroom before, but that was for the show. I was thinking maybe we could try it in real life" he said seductively.

Lucy turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You are such a charmer, you know that?" she said smiling.

"Are you hitting on me, Ms. Hale?" Ian asked incredulously.

"Hmm I think I am" Lucy said as she pulled his face down to hers. It didn't take long for Ian's tongue to make its way into Lucy's mouth. As their makeout session became more heated, Ian lifted Lucy up onto the counter.

Things were beginning to get hotter and Lucy started on Ian's shirt. As she popped each button, Ian's hands ran up and down her legs, going higher and higher each time. Before long, Ian's shirt was on the floor and Lucy's dress was pushed up, her underwear now exposed.

Just as Lucy began to unbuckle Ian's pants there was a knock at the door. Stopping suddenly, Lucy looked at Ian, panic evident in her eyes.

"Someone is in here" Ian called out.

Hurriedly, Lucy pulled her dress back down and hopped off the counter, throwing Ian his shirt from the floor. Ian buttoned his shirt back up and ruffled his hair. He mouthed a sorry to Lucy and opened the door slowly. When he saw the person was gone he motioned for Lucy to leave the bathroom. After leaving the restaurant, they made it to the car and left for home.

* * *

The next day, Ian helped Lucy pack the remainder of her belongings. He tried to comfort her in any way he could. In the morning he made her breakfast in bed, he gave her a back and foot massage and managed to write her a long letter to give her as she was leaving to read on the plane.

It was now 3:30 and they needed to leave in the next 15 minutes. Lucy was rushing around trying to gather all the bags she needed to take with her. Once she had her bags in order, Ian picked up two of the 3 and helped her bring them to the car. She picked up Jack and the small carry on bag and the three of them left for the car.

As they were driving, Ian kept looking over at Lucy, who was staring straight ahead, silent.

"Hey, what are you thinking?" he asked as he rubbed her knee.

"I don't really know. I am just trying really hard not to cry" she said shakily.

"Babe...I promise you it'll all be okay. I am here for you no matter what, you know that. Plus it is going to fly by" Ian said soothingly.

"I know...I just know I will miss you. I don't want to miss you too much" she said wiping at the few tears spilling from her eyes.

"But just think, if we can make it through this, we can make it through anything!" Ian said.

"I hope so."

* * *

The airport was hot and crowded. Ian pulled Lucy's luggage behind him with one hand and held her hand in the other. She carried Jack in her free arm as she walked nervously towards the luggage check.

Checking her luggage didn't take long and within 20 minutes she was left with only a small carry on, her purse, Jack, and Ian. She knew that she needed to get to her terminal since her plane was due to leave soon. She took a deep breath to try to keep the tears at bay and turned to Ian.

Ian took Jack from Lucy's arms and placed him on the ground gently, keeping a hold on his leash. Once he stood back up he took Lucy into his arms and held her in a long embrace.

The feeling of Ian's arms around her body made Lucy instantly start bawling. She knew that she would feel his embrace again, but it felt as if it would be the last time. Once she was able to control her tears she pulled away slightly to kiss him.

One kiss led to another and finally after a couple of minutes they pulled away. She looked into Ian's eyes to find that he too was crying.

"I love you" she said in a raspy voice.

"I love you too, Luce. It's after 4:30, I think you need to get in there, even though I really don't want you to" Ian said sadly, wiping away the tears that has escaped his eyes.

"Okay" Lucy said reluctantly hugging Ian tightly. "I love you and I will call you as soon as I land, okay?"

"Sounds good, baby" he said kissing her temple.

As she began to walk towards the terminal, Ian remembered the letter he wrote her.

"Luce, wait!" Ian called running towards her.

Lucy turned around quickly to see Ian coming towards her carrying an envelope.

"This is for you. Read it on the plane. I love you, baby girl. Have a safe flight" Ian said as he gave her one last lingering kiss.


End file.
